New York City had a weekend of mostly blue skies marred by acrid smoke and air-quality advisories after a series of brush fires, fueled by extremely dry conditions, erupted around the region. People sensitive to pollution were advised that the air quality through Sunday could be at unhealthy levels because of smoke and particulate matter.

A New York parks employee died battling one of a number of wildfires in New Jersey and New York amid dry conditions that have prompted air quality warnings in both states, authorities said Sunday.