About an hour after it concluded, the department announced a press briefing for Wednesday “to discuss the state entering Drought Warning status as prolonged dry periods continue statewide.” The New Jersey Forest Fire Service says conditions in the state are the driest they have been in nearly 120 years.

Weather conditions triggered red flag warnings Tuesday in the Northeast and firefighters in California continued to battle a large wildfire that has burned over 20,000 acres. Much of New York, New Jersey and Connecticut are under a red flag warning Tuesday because of dry and windy conditions.