A state of emergency has been issued in New York as brush fires sweep through swathes of Long Island and near Brooklyn.
Firefighters are battling the flames with National Guard helicopters providing air support, according to New York State governor Kathy Hochul.
The flames are being fanned by high winds that spewed thick smoke into the sky and caused the evacuation of a military base and the closure of a major highway.
Governor Hochul said emergency workers were responding to the fires around the Pine Barrens, a wooded area that is home to commuter towns east of New York City.
“This is still out of control at this moment,” she told Long Island TV station News 12.
“We’re seeing people having to be evacuated from the Westhampton area.”
Around the same time as videos started appearing on social media showing the fires, the Town of Southampton issued a warning against starting recreational fires due to the wildfire risk.
“Exercise caution handling any potential ignition sources, including machinery, cigarettes, and matches,” the weather service warned.
“Any fires that ignite will have the potential to spread quickly.”
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NASA satellite data showed fire and smoke stretching roughly 2.5 miles along Sunrise Highway, a thoroughfare to the east end of Long Island.
Governor Hochul said homes, a chemical factory and an Amazon warehouse were at risk.
Video on social media showed plumes of smoke billowing from a fire near the Belt Parkway by Brooklyn.
The cause of the fires is not known at this time.
There have been no reports of injuries.
