Steven Snyder stood by his bedroom window, gazing out as his neighborhood burned. Waves of red and orange flames and plumes of black smoke swallowed everything in sight — yet, remarkably, his house stood unscathed.

Firefighters were gaining ground Monday on a wildfire that raced across more than 32 square miles north of Los Angeles, damaged or destroyed almost 250 homes, businesses and other structures and continued to "creep and smolder" in steep rugged terrain.

Authorities said firefighters battled fierce, howling winds and rescued people as a fast-moving Southern California wildfire exploded in size.

Firefighters are very busy battling several wildfires in Manhattan, Queens and New Jersey as dry conditions, brush and falling leaves continue to fuel them.

New Jersey has declared a drought warning as dry conditions continue, asking residents to conserve water voluntarily.

South Jersey's largest water utility has asked customers to cut back on water usage amid worsening drought conditions. New Jersey American Water called for customers to limit "nonessential water usage by pausing all outdoor watering until spring and conserving as much as possible indoors.