The National Weather Service issued a special statement Sunday warning about the elevated risk of wildfires spreading in some New Jersey counties.

An elevated risk for the spread of wildfires continues Monday as swathes of the Northeast grapples with blazes, winds, and dry conditions — but respite may come later this week with some much-needed rain.

Firefighters in New York said Sunday that a successful voluntary evacuation overnight helped them protect about 165 homes from a wildfire near the New Jersey border. However, New York City’s fire department has taken the first-of-its-kind step of creating a brush fire task force to respond to what officials are calling a historic increase in brush fires occurring throughout the five boroughs,