NEW YORK – In a rare sight in New York, a brush fire at Van Cortlandt Park in the Bronx on Monday sent smoke into the sky, visible for miles.

The fire, which required more than 100 firefighters to bring under control, was fueled by high winds and dry conditions following a recent red flag warning issued by the National Weather Service.

“Due to the dry conditions, we have seen several fires even in this area,” said FDNY Deputy Chief William McCormack. “We also had one in Upper Manhattan this morning.”

Authorities say the continued lack of precipitation could make the situation worse.

“Look at our reservoir levels, which are less than two-thirds, when at this point in the year they should be about 75% or more,” said New York Environmental Commissioner Rohit Aggarwala.

Weather models suggest that the months of November to January could be much drier than usual, which is why the city is currently under a drought warning.

“The last time we had a drought emergency was between 2001 and 2003,” said Zachary Iscol, New York City’s emergency management commissioner. “At that time, the city was put on a drought watch in December. We were on warning for January, February and March, then we were on level 1 drought emergency from April to the end of October.”

As dry weather persists, officials are urging residents to conserve water and take steps to prevent fires. They recommend turning off faucets when not in use, taking shorter showers and being careful when disposing of cigarettes to avoid any potential sparks that could ignite dry foliage.