Firefighters in New York say a voluntary evacuation has helped them protect about 165 homes from a wildfire as officials in much of the Northeast cope with hundreds of brush fires in tinder-dry and windy conditions. New York City’s fire department said Sunday it has created a task force to respond to what officials are calling a historic increase in brush fires. Wildfires also are a threat in New England, where states are under red flag alerts this weekend. Massachusetts typically has about 15 wildland fires every October but there have been about 200 this year. The National Interagency Fire Center says fires in California, North Carolina and West Virginia are also concerning.
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