What’s That Smell? Smoke, Haze Reported In South Jersey

MOUNT LAUREL, NJ - Smoke and visible haze has been reported by residents in South Jersey this week amid a prescribed burn conducted by the New Jersey Forest Fire Service, authorities said.

“We've received a number of calls reporting a smell of smoke with a visible haze in southern area of Mount Laurel. We believe it is attributed to a controlled burn … in Camden County,” Mount Laurel police said in a Friday statement.

Friday’s prescribed burn took place on private property in Camden County. Other prescribed burns in the area included sites in Hamilton and Mullica (Atlantic County) and Berkeley and Jackson (Ocean County).

Due to an elevated risk of wildfire spread over the weekend, according to the National Weather Service, all state prescribed burns have been suspended on March 18, the forest fire service said.

Controlled burns are completed by the state forest fire service in the late winter and early spring to remove unwanted vegetation ahead of the summer months, police added, noting that they will “continue to monitor the situation.”

“Prescribed burns improve habitat for plants and animals, reduce the presence of damaging insects and ticks, and recycle nutrients into the soil,” the forest fire service said in a statement. “In addition, prescribed burning is an important part of the state’s carbon defense strategy. Allowing experts to choose the intensity, timing and interval of fire across the landscape may help prevent a larger uncontrolled wildfire, which would contribute to significant carbon loss.”

South Jersey residents who see a fire are still urged to dial 911 or 877-WARN-DEP (877-927-6337).