Rain was falling across the Northeast on Sunday afternoon, bringing a much-needed assist to firefighters battling a major wildfire straddling the border of New Jersey and New York. But the blaze evaded their control and grew to more than 2,500 acres on Sunday, threatening several structures -- including a historic site dating back to the Revolutionary War, officials said. While Saturday marked 42 days without any measurable rainfall in the city of Philadelphia, and the driest streak in New York City history, many cities throughout the Northeast were expecting to see measurable rainfall on Sunday.

The forecast was welcome news to fire crews battling the so-called Jennings Creek Fire that broke out Saturday and burned wildland throughout West Milford in New Jersey's Passaic County and Orange County, New York. But the flames remained 0% contained on Sunday afternoon, Chief Bill Donnelly of the New Jersey Forest Fire Service said at a news conference. And although more rainfall was yet to come, he didn't seem optimistic that it would change the outcome.

Since Oct. 1, New Jersey firefighters have responded to 537 wildfires that have consumed 4,500 acres, including about 40 fires that ignited between Friday and Saturday, according to Donnelly. Forest Ranger Jeremy Oldroyd, of the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation, said New York fire crews have battled 60 wildfires since Oct. 1, and they have burned 2,100 acres. A New York State Parks and Recreation aid was killed on Saturday helping the battle the Jennings Creek Fire, which is burning in the Sterling Forest State Park, officials said. The deceased parks employee was identified Sunday by the New York State Police as 18-year-old Dariel Vasquez.