NJ Wildfire Season Brings Warnings As Drought Conditions Linger

NEW JERSEY — With the calendar-official start of spring just days away, firefighters in New Jersey are grappling with another wildfire season and the impacts of continued low precipitation amounts across the state.

The drier-than-usual winter means New Jersey remains under a drought warning, said Shawn LaTourette, commissioner of the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection. It also means the risk of wildfires remains elevated, officials said.

As a result, state officials are urging residents to be extremely careful in any circumstance that could spark a wildfire, and unveiled new initiatives that aim to remind the public of the risks and how to prevent them.

"Risk reduction is critical," LaTourette said during a meeting with reporters on Thursday, because about 46 percent of New Jersey's population lives in areas at risk from wildfires.

The New Jersey Forest Fire Service is continuing to work on prescribed burning, where controlled fires are used to remove underbrush, leaves, pine needles and other matter that could speed the spread of a wildfire. However, the forest fire service has not been able to complete the amount of prescribed burning it usually does, said Bill Donnelly, the state Forest Fire Service Chief.

Normally the service aims to address 20,000 to 25,000 acres through prescribed burns, but wind has curtailed their efforts to about 1,700 acres so far, Donnelly said.

The service also has been faced with a quick start to the spring season, he said, responding to 381 wildfire calls so far in 2025, three of them major wildfires exceeding 100 acres, Donnelly said. That includes the 191-acre wildfire in Gloucester County earlier this week and the Hopewell Township fire in Mercer County at the beginning of March. More than 3,200 acres have been burned, he said.

The lack of significant precipitation — nine of the last 10 months have had below-average precipitation, including the driest October in the state going back to 1896 when records were first kept, said Steven Domber, New Jersey's state geologist — means the ground conditions remain very dry. That means it takes longer for wildfires to be fully extinguished, because they can continue to smolder underground, said Greg McLaughlin, the NJDEP's Forests and Natural Lands administrator.

LaTourette said New Jersey would need at least two months of above-average precipitation to get out of the drought warning. He noted that storms bringing several inches of rain at one sitting don't provide as much help as might be assumed, because the rainfall doesn't necessarily soak into the ground but instead runs off, causing other problems.

Across the state, there are more than 1,400 firefighters on call for the New Jersey Forest Fire Service to battle wildfires across the state's three sections and 21 districts, officials said. Those firefighters, who are paid part-time, can be moved around to other areas when needed.

Those are in addition to the more than 70 full-time Forest Fire Service employees who monitor for signs of a fire and otherwise support the firefighting efforts, authorities said. Of the hundreds of wildfires battled each year, most are contained to 5 acres or less, officials said.

Gov. Phil Murphy also allocated an additional $1 million to the Forest Fire Service in the 2025-26 budget, said John Cecil, NJDEP assistant commissioner.

State officials said they would prefer to not have fires to fight, however. With 90 percent of wildfires starting as a result of human interaction, both accidental and intentional, officials said there are a host of safety tips people should follow:

• Don’t toss cigarettes, matches or smoking materials on the ground.
• Use indoor wood stoves and fireplaces carefully – both can emit embers that spark fires. Fully douse ashes with water before disposal.
• When towing a trailer, ensure chains are not dragged on the road. Chains hitting the pavement can create sparks that fly into nearby vegetation, igniting a wildfire.
• Be mindful of where you park or drive your vehicle. Hot exhaust systems can ignite dry vegetation if parked or driven over.
• Be careful when you are cutting grass or using yard tools. Lawnmowers and chainsaws can throw off sparks that ignite dry grass or leaves.
• Keep matches and lighters away from children and teach kids about fire safety. Children can learn about wildfire safety with Smokey Bear’s mobile game Smokey’s Scouts.
• Contact your nearest Forest Fire Service office about how to obtain a Campfire Permit.