NEW YORK – The wildfire that burned nearly 200 acres near Eisenhower Parkway and Route 10 in Livingston is now 90% contained.

Fire officials say they need significant rainfall to completely extinguish the blaze, which is flaring dangerously close to residential areas and a busy shopping mall.

Livingston Fire Chief Christopher Mullin told FOX 5 the area remains dangerous due to small, smoldering pockets of fire in the dry land.

On Saturday, when flames reached 20 feet high, helicopters capable of dropping 350 gallons of water were deployed to keep the flames away from homes and businesses. In the incident where no one was injured, some properties were evacuated as a precaution.

Another major concern is air quality due to the persistence of smoke. Livingston Mayor Al Anthony said air quality has improved since Saturday, but many residents still notice the smell of smoke, especially in the mornings.

“The weather is much better than it used to be, Saturday was terrible,” Anthony said. “Now you smell smoke in the morning… but it gets much better during the day.”

Despite the progress made in controlling the fire, officials emphasize that rain is necessary to completely extinguish the flames.

“It won’t go out completely until we get significant rainfall,” Mullin said. “I’m not talking about temporary showers, but I’m talking about an inch to an inch and a half of precipitation. It has to come down and sink into the soil.”