Weird sun over NJ? That's from the wildfires 3,000 miles away

Smoke from the west coast forest fires has reached the East Coast causing cloudy and hazy skies over New Jersey.

The massive wildfires have killed at least 36 people, destroyed neighborhoods and enveloped the West Coast in smoke. In California, nearly 17,000 firefighters are battling 29 major wildfires. Since mid-August, the blazes have destroyed 4,100 buildings and killed 24 people in the state. Fires have engulfed 3.3 million acres of land in California this year — desolation greater in size than Connecticut.

New Jersey 101.5 Chief Meteorologist Dan Zarrow said smoke particles from the western wildfires got stuck in the upper atmosphere and were transported east.

"That smoke is dirty. And it has been transported across the country via the strong winds high up in the atmosphere," Zarrow said. "You won't smell smoke, and we shouldn't face any air quality concerns in New Jersey. But it's pretty incredible how far those smoke particulates have traveled," Zarrow said.

The smoke also created some eerie looking skies over the state especially at sunrise and sunset.

New Jersey flew 10 members of the New Jersey Forest Fire Service along with four vehicles out to California on Saturday.