NJ Bans Open Fires In 10 Counties After Acres Of Forest Burn

NEW JERSEY — If you were planning to sit around your fire pit this weekend to relax, you may have to do it without flames. New Jersey officials banned open burning in 10 counties until further notice.

The ban on open burning took effect at 8 a.m. Wednesday, officials said, and was put in place as fire crews continue to battle two large forest fires in the southern portion of the state.

The prohibition is in effect for the following counties: Burlington, Monmouth, Ocean, Middlesex (south of the Raritan River), Mercer (except Hopewell Township), Atlantic, Camden, Cumberland, Gloucester and Salem counties.

In North Jersey, fires directly on the ground were prohibited unless in a prepared fire ring.

A lack of rainfall — New Jersey is as much as 20 percent below its average for precipitation so far in 2021 — and warm, dry forecasts for the coming days have increased the fire threat across the state.

New Jersey's statewide fire threat was "high," according to the forest fire service's dashboard. But the overlapping fires in the Bass River and Brendan T. Byrne state forests have prompted the ban on open flames. Ocean County Sheriff Michael Mastronardy issued an alert to county residents.

The 617-acre fire in the Bass River State Forest that threatened homes in Little Egg Harbor Township was finally 100 percent contained as of Tuesday afternoon, two days after the fire began, the New Jersey Forest Fire Service said.

A second fire that started Monday evening in the Brendan T. Byrne State Forest in Burlington County consumed more than 400 acres as of Tuesday afternoon.

After initially reporting that around 1,000 acres burned, officials said the Bass River State Forest fire had burned 617 acres, a number that was reduced because of fire suppression tactics. No major structural or property damage was reported.

Low-level smoke is expected to be visible in the area while the fire smolders for several days.

Trevor Raynor, a section warden for the New Jersey Forest Fire Service, said officials do not know the cause of the Bass River fire, which comes two months after a forest fire burned 167 acres of forest in Lakewood and Brick townships, coming dangerously close to homes and shut down the Garden State Parkway and part of Route 70. That fire was determined to be "intentionally set." Read more: Ocean County Forest Fire 'Intentionally Set,' Prosecutor Says

According to the National Weather Service, New Jersey has received below-average precipitation so far in 2021. Passaic County is 31.5 percent below normal, with 4.2 inches less rain so far.

Burlington County is 17.5 percent below average, with 2.5 inches less precipitation in 2021. The county also has an abundance of fuel with dry pine needles and vast stretches of forest in the protected Pinelands area.

In 2020 the Forest Fire Service responded to more than 1,000 wildfires, 12 of which were sparked by natural causes, such as lightning. In total, wildfires in New Jersey burned 4,796 acres of land last year.

Most wildfires are preventable. State authorities remind residents here’s how you can help:

1. Don’t discard cigarettes, matches or smoking materials on the ground.
2. Obtain required permits for campfires from your nearest Forest Fire Service office.
3. Don’t leave fires unattended and be sure to douse them completely, until cold to the touch.
4. Keep matches and lighters away from children. Teach youth about fire safety.
5. Protect your home and other structures from wildfire by creating Defensible Space. Visit www.njwildfire.org for more.
6. Ensure fire trucks can access driveways.
7. Report suspicious vehicles and individuals to authorities.
8. Use wood stoves and fireplaces carefully, since both can emit embers that spark fires. Fully douse ashes with water before disposal.

During wildfire season, trees and bushes do not yet have full leaves, which allows more sun to reach the forest floor and dry out any fallen leaves and pine needles. The dry underbrush acts as kindling for wildfire growth.

With reporting by Kimberlee Bongard

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