Amid a flurry of ongoing wildfire warnings across the state, the National Weather Service has issued a special weather statement urging residents to be aware of an increased spread of wildfires over the next several days.

The state’s Department of Environmental Protection also issued a drought watch on Thursday, asking residents to voluntarily conserve water.

The moves come amid low humidity levels that are dropping further, and below-normal rain levels in the last 90 days. Rain has been two to seven inches lower than usual.

“We’ve seen this before, even in non-summer months, and at the end of 2022 we saw this, we got through it,” said Gov. Phil Murphy. “The big watchword is, ‘folks, use less water in all aspects of your life.’”

The governor said climate change was more than just temperatures warming. “It isn’t always warming. It isn’t always in one direction. It isn’t always in the summer. And this is a good example of a bigger picture challenge.”

State Climatologist Dave Robinson said this past September was the third driest on record. The lack of rain, mild winds, and moderate temperatures create the perfect environment for wildfires to quickly get out of control, according to officials.

Earlier this week, the New Jersey Forest Fire Service also issued campfire restrictions across the state and urged residents to take precautions. The guidelines strongly discourage outdoor burning and emphasize the proper extinguishing or disposal of any potential ignition sources, including smoking materials such as cigarette butts. More information on the restrictions can be found here.