mobanmarketNEW JERSEY — In a typical fall season New Jersey Forest Fire Service personnel are catching their breath, catching up on sleep and recharging after spending months battling fires big and small across the state.
Severe drought conditions across the state have turned the fall of 2024 into a relentless cycle of wildfire responses, according to Bill Donnelly, chief warden of the New Jersey Forest Fire Service.
With just a half-inch of measurable rain in September and no precipitation in October and so far in November — New Jersey has been under a drought warning since mid-October — conditions are ripe for nearly anything to start a fire, Donnelly said.
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The forest fire service uses a drought index that measures the dryness of soil and forest floor materials, such as leaves, pine needles, branches and twigs, and is designed to estimate wildfire potential. The index ranges from zero to 800, with zero representing completely saturated, wet soil and tops out at 800 representing extreme dryness and the maximum drought possible.
It also estimates the amount of forest fuels that can contribute to the intensity and spread of wildfire. When this index reaches 120 or above it signals very high to extreme fire risk, the service said.
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On the state’s Fire Danger dashboard, Central Jersey was at 743 on the drought measure, and 191 on the fuels measure. The South Jersey index is 649 and 147, and in North Jersey the drought index is 536 and the fuels buildup is 113, according to numbers updated Wednesday.
Because of the lack of rainfall, there’s an added complication: falling leaves that normally would hold moisture are already dry before they hit the ground, making them more susceptible to fire.
On Wednesday night at the Cassville Volunteer Fire Company in Jackson, the command post for the forest fire service as it battles the “Shotgun” Wildfire, Donnelly said the forest fire service had responded to more than 200 fire calls in the last two weeks, and had responded to a similar number in the two weeks before that.
In October alone, the forest fire service responded to 507 incidents, the service said. There had been 934 wildfire responses in 2024 as of Oct. 23, consuming more than 6,700 acres of forest. That was before wildfires broke out Wednesday in Jackson, where 25 homes initially were threatened and 300 acres were burning, and in Evesham on Thursday, where 97 homes were threatened and 75 acres were burning.
“Our guys have been going nonstop for about five weeks now,” Donnelly said Wednesday, but added the consistent fire calls started in August. The forest fire service has both full-time and part-time firefighters, but the relentless nature of the fires is taking a toll.
“Some of these guys get home to take a break and get some sleep, and 20 minutes later they’re called out to another fire,” Donnelly said, referring to the firewardens who are responsible for being the first eyes at fires in their assigned areas.
Donnelly said anything could set off a fire right now because of the extremely dry conditions.
“We need the public to be extra careful,” he said. “Running lawnmowers, discarding fireplace ashes, anything could spark a fire.”
While 99 percent of wildfires are the result of humans — from things such as not fully extinguishing a campfire to a tossed lit cigarette to intentionally set fires — natural causes also are possible. In the current extreme dryness and warm weather, it can even trigger spontaneous combustion, Donnelly said.
In fighting the wildfires this fall, the dry conditions also have led to fires that were considered extinguished reigniting because they have remained hot underground, forcing firefighters to return, Donnelly said.
“In my 30-year career with the Forest Fire Service, I can’t recall a time when we faced such a prolonged period of dry weather with no relief in sight,”Donnelly said.
AMandatory statewide Stage 3 fire restrictions remain in effect. All fires are banned unless they are contained in an elevated stove using only propane, natural gas or electricity. No wood or charcoal fires are allowed, and the use of kerosene or gas torches of any kind is prohibited, officials said.
The fire ban is in place on all public lands and private properties in all municipalities throughout the state, officials said.
While there is rain the forecast for Sunday, Donnelly said that rain likely won’t be sufficient to reduce the fire risk, in part because the warm days tend to dry up any rain.
“We need two or three days of soaking rain,” he said.
In the meantime, the forest fire service listed the following things to be aware of that can potentially start wildfires:
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