India, March 9 -- On Saturday, Long Island, New York, was hit by a series of brush fires that pounded the air with massive plumes of smoke. From Connecticut and most of the tri-state area, the thick clouds of smoke were visible.

Fires were started in the afternoon or late morning and spread quickly due to dry conditions and strong winds. Gusts of up to 40 mph helped feed the blaze, which spread quickly. Low humidity and available brush and grass were feeding factors.

Authorities have ruled out any natural cause, such as lightning, and believe the cause is driven by human activity.

For now, New Yorkers can breathe easy as air quality remains stable despite the Long Island wildfire. The AQI in most of the places in the state is under 50,...