Wildfires continue to burn on both US coasts

Photo: Mountain Fire, November 6, 2024, in Camarillo, California

Several wildfires continue to burn in the northeastern United States, causing one death and disrupting Veterans Day festivities on Monday, November 11.

Rain in the forested area on the New York-New Jersey border on Monday night gave firefighters a brief respite.

It is one of several fires burning on the East Coast of the United States amid little rainfall since September. A New York State Department of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation employee helping firefighters died Saturday, November 9, when he was pinned by a fallen tree, the Associated Press reports.

Meanwhile, larger fires are raging on the West Coast in California.

Firefighters continue to battle a wildfire northwest of Los Angeles in Ventura County that began Nov. 6 and grew quickly due to dry, warm conditions and gusty winds.

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The Mountain Fire in Ventura County has forced thousands of residents to flee their homes and was 41% contained as of Monday. The blaze, which has burned about 32 square miles (83 square kilometers), has destroyed more than 192 structures and damaged 82 others, most of them homes, officials said. The cause of the fire is under investigation.

In neighboring Nevada, authorities ordered the evacuation of hundreds of homes southwest of Reno and closed a major highway leading to Lake Tahoe after a fire quickly spread through mountain vegetation on Monday.

In West Milford, New Jersey, a Veterans Day ceremony was postponed, said Rudy Hass, head of the local veterans organization.

"Many of the people fighting these fires are veterans themselves, and right now we need to think about them as they spend many hours, day and night, trying to do everything they can to protect our communities in this area," he wrote.

New York and New Jersey state authorities have issued health advisories for certain areas, including New York City, due to worsening air quality due to the fires. The situation has improved after rain and a change in wind direction.

Prepared by: Sergey Daga