Fire crews on both US coasts battle wildfires

POMPTON LAKES, N.J. (AP) — Fire crews have been battling small wildfires across the Northeast U.S. — including a blaze in New York and New Jersey that killed a parks employee over the weekend and postponed Veterans Day plans. A quarter-inch of rain fell overnight from Sunday (Nov. 10, 2024) into Monday in a forest area straddling the border between the two states, giving a slight respite to firefighters. The fire is one of several burning on the East Coast amid a lack of much rainfall since September. The East Coast fires were burning Monday as much larger wildfires raged in California. Firefighters continued making progress against a wildfire northwest of Los Angeles in Ventura County that broke out Wednesday and quickly exploded in size due to dry, warm and gusty Santa Ana winds.