New Jersey is in Peak Wildfire Season: What we Need to Know
- dgenovese5
- 12 minutes ago
- 2 min read
According to 6ABC, New Jersey has entered peak wildfire season with consistent drought conditions and continued dry weather, putting New Jersey officials on alert with growing concerns.
Chief of the New Jersey Forest Fire Service, Bill Donnelly, stated that, “Many people are surprised to learn that New Jersey's peak wildfire season is in the spring,” and "Typically running from mid-March to mid-May, so we're here at fire season right now.”
Since New Jersey has been in a drought warning as of December, this is what we need to know, reported by 6ABC:
“Since the start of the year, more than 200 wildfires have already been reported across the state. While that number is down from 537 fires at this time last year, officials say the dry pattern remains a concern.”
“This year's season follows a winter that included a February storm dropping one to two feet of snow across much of the state. Despite the snowfall, meteorologists say it did little to ease drought conditions.”
“‘Even though we did have a lot of snow, the actual water content of that snow wasn't anything atypical,’ said Ray Martin, senior meteorologist with the National Weather Service. “And the actual amount of rain that we got was below normal. Significantly below normal. So it might have seemed like we had a very wet winter, but actually it was a dry winter.”
“The snowpack also lingered longer than usual, limiting the number of controlled burns that fire crews could conduct before wildfire season. In most years, crews burn between 20,000 and 25,000 acres. This year, only about 8,600 acres were treated.”
“‘It's very important to be mindful of these realities that we are in peak wildfire season for New Jersey,’ said John Cecil of the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection. ‘What we do with fireplaces, ashes, how we're maintaining the vegetation around our houses, all can matter greatly.’”
“The current drought warning asks residents to voluntarily conserve water. If the governor were to declare a drought emergency, mandatory water restrictions would go into effect.”
Hopefully, New Jersey comes out of the 2026 wildfire season relatively unscathed.