New Jersey residents are being warned of heightened fire risks Tuesday due to a combination of strong winds and dry conditions, according to

Strengthening winds and bone-dry conditions were hindering firefighters working to gain control of a stubborn wildfire burning in a forested stretch along the New York-New Jersey state border about 50 miles (80 km) northwest of New York City.

As efforts to battle a wildfire on the New Jersey/New York border continue, much of southern New York is now under a red flag warning, pointing to a heightened risk of additional fires. The Jennings Creek Wildfire has burned through thousands of acres in northern New Jersey and New York's Orange County,

The actions came as conditions in some northeast states are the driest they’ve been in nearly 120 years as numerous wildfires continue to burn in places that haven’t seen significant rain since August.