Firefighters in New York said Sunday that a voluntary evacuation overnight helped them protect more than 160 homes from a stubborn wildfire near the New Jersey border as officials in much of the Northeast coped with hundreds of brush fires in tinder-dry and windy conditions.

An elevated risk for the spread of wildfires continues Monday as swathes of the Northeast grapples with blazes, winds, and dry conditions — but respite may come later this week with some much-needed rain.

The National Weather Service issued a special statement Sunday warning about the elevated risk of wildfires spreading in some New Jersey counties.