New Jersey Smoke Infiltrates New York City

Sunday's fire, which ignited approximately 1,500 acres or 2 square miles, occurred on Batsto Road in Wharton State Forest. It was initially seen at about 3:30 p.m., during a time of unusually low humidity. By 9:00 a.m. today, the fire was 30% controlled and 50% contained.

Luckily the flames haven't caused any injuries or structural damages. Its cause remains under investigation. The cold air pressed the smoke down, causing the smell to permeate as far away as New York City. Today, The Environmental Protection Agency called for an air quality action day and recommended the affected to reduce outdoor pursuits and limit heavy or timely exertion. The Agency explained that fine particles infiltrating into the air are extremely unhealthy for the elderly, youth and lung or heart disease patients. It ranked the region on a four out of six air-quality scale, in terms of severity. This marks the first time that the City's air quality index reached this low of a level in 2014.

Brooklyn smoke smeller Diana stated to 1010 Wins, "I didn't smell it in my apartment, but when I came out in front of my door near the elevator, I could smell it very strong...But then once I got down here in lower Manhattan, I was so surprised I could still smell it". Queens, Staten Island and Bronx residents could also smell the smoke. Bronx worker Michael Berry described, "You can actually see it. It looks like it's overflowing...It's totally different than a fog, and I could start to smell it".