ENGLEWOOD CLIFFS, NJ — Two wildfires broke out in the Palisades area of ​​New Jersey on Friday morning, sending clouds of smoke across the Hudson River into New York City.

Dozens of firefighters converged on the area near Exit 1 of the Palisades Parkway, about a mile north of the George Washington Bridge. One northbound lane of the Parkway is closed and Henry Hudson Drive is also closed.

Around 2:45 p.m., the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection’s Forest Fire Service posted on social media that the Englewood Cliffs fire is about 30% contained and is about 80 acres. A smoking advisory has been drawn up. The cause of the fire is unknown at this time.

The steep, wooded area is located between the Palisades Parkway and the Hudson River. It is full of dry, dense bush and relatively inaccessible, but the river acts as a natural barrier and there are not many buildings around.

The Forest Fire Department said the fire is not threatening any buildings and no evacuations are taking place.

A helicopter that can carry up to 350 liters drops water from above while crews and fire trucks attack the fire on the ground.

Some spectators stopped at the Rockefeller Lookout area to take photos and video of the scene.

“There are no houses here, it’s preserved. So it’s just going to destroy nature, it’s not going to destroy anyone’s house…unless it jumps over the highway, which I doubt,” said hiker Nancy McLaughlin. “They should be able to handle this. These firefighters? They’re going to destroy it.’

“I just saw the fog and thought, what’s going on? We came here and then we saw,” said hiker Yuda Katz.

The area is popular with hikers and hikers, but the trails were closed to the public on Friday.

Smoke is causing a nuisance in New York City

Across the river in New York City, residents of Upper Manhattan and parts of the Bronx also woke up to the smell of smoke.

“It was just a fire. And then my husband woke up at half past four and he just had to close the windows because the smoke was so bad,” said a resident of Spuyten Duyvil. “This has gotten worse since I got up this morning.”

Some residents said they could see the wildfire from their apartment windows at night.

“We realized there was smoke coming in, and then he said he could see the flames. By the time I got there, probably around 6:45 a.m., you could just see a lot of smoke,” another resident added.

As the sun rose, video from Chopper 2 showed a white plume billowing over the Hudson.

The FDNY responded to several calls about smoke in Upper Manhattan and the Bronx, although it appeared many or all were related to the New Jersey fires.

“Wildfires outside NYC mean you may smell smoke. The overall air quality forecast for today is 48, and current conditions are 58 (moderate),” the city’s Office of Emergency Management posted on social media Friday morning.

Experts say some people with sensitivities at that level may experience mild health effects.

“The complicated problem here is that wildfire smoke itself contains a whole host of different compounds… We don’t always know what’s burning,” said pulmonologist Chirag Shah.

“It will definitely have an impact on people. We do not expect that a level of moderate AQI in itself will cause a public health impact. Normally we would say if you are particularly sensitive, you should look for symptoms… be vigilant for coughing or shortness of breath,” said Kevin Edwards, senior technical director of air quality and sustainability for AKRF.

On Friday afternoon, air quality improved to “good” in upper Manhattan and the Bronx.

Red flag warning extended in tri-state area

A Red flag warning has been extended until Saturday 6 p.m across the Tri-State Area due to a combination of dry and windy conditions.

Firefighters in New Jersey fought at least three forest fires the past few days, including one in Jackson Township According to officials, about 80% are under control after the burning of 350 hectares.

“Crews are obviously getting tired because they’re running, running, running, but we’re going to continue to do our job the best we can,” said Jeremy Webber with the New Jersey Forest Fire Service.

Fire risk is considered extreme in the Garden State, while the drought continues. It was October driest month ever recordedwith less than an inch of rain.

The risk will remain moderate to high on Saturday before decreasing from Sunday to Monday when we could finally see some more rain.

Residents are asked to remain vigilant. Officials say anything from a cigarette to dumped ash to flying dry leaves to faulty equipment can cause a fire.

“If they’re mowing their lawn or doing leaves and stuff, remember that fuels are very dry and they’re very susceptible to any kind of ignition source,” Webber said.

So what should you do if you notice a wildfire? If you’re driving, AAA says to stay calm and keep your windows closed.

“A few concerns when dealing with wildfires, especially the smoke will reduce visibility. So you really want to treat it like it’s a very foggy day,” AAA Northeast senior spokesperson Mark Schieldrop told CBS News New York. “That means driving a little slower, increasing your following distance, making sure your lights are on so you’re visible, and giving yourself that extra time to react and slow down if something is in front of you.”

He also said to make sure your vehicle’s recirculation button is turned on so the air filter can help reduce particulate matter.

When it comes to removing the axle from your car, don’t leave it for too long.

“It’s not like dirt, it’s very gritty and abrasive. So you want to wipe that ash away very gently with a soft cloth, a microfiber cloth or a duster,” Schieldrop said. “You want to make sure you wipe the windshield wipers as well because if you turn them on and there’s still ash on them, it’s going to grind into your windshield.”

Alecia Reid contributed to this report.