India, March 11 -- New York's Long Island is presently battling clouds of smoke from several wildfires around the Pine Barrens (a 105,000-acre nature park) area. The fast-moving brush fires - which led to the temporary closure of Sunrise Highway past exit 58 and Speonk Riverhead Road on March 8 - prompted Governor Kathy Hochul to declare a state of emergency. Both roads have now reopened.

As of March 9, approximately 80 percent of the fire was contained in Westhampton, Suffolk County. While no residential buildings were affected, around 600 acres of land were burned, and two commercial buildings sustained damage.

Long Island wildfire: Areas impacted, action plan, and more

The wildfires, which started around 1 pm on March 8 in Center Mo...