It started at 8:30 a.m., sending people running from their homes to flee the flames. Firefighters who were first on the scene say they found heavy smoke and flames pouring out of both buildings.

New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy used a press conference on wildfire readiness to say New York’s lack of a state fire service is “beyond belief.” ...

A fire in the garbage shoot of a Jersey City high-rise apartment building early Thursday morning led to a large response from firefighters, who were able to extinguish it without any injuries.

Adams said the New Jersey fires were to blame, adding that there was also a recent fire in Brooklyn’s 526-acre Prospect Park. “It’s crucial that we all take the right steps during the ...