State authorities on Tuesday urged residents to be prepared as New Jersey’s peak wildfire season gets underway. Springtime, from April through late May, is typically when the state is at highest risk of major wildfires, due to warmer temperatures and windier weather patterns.
“Residents and visitors to New Jersey should not become complacent of wildfire risk just because the state received substantial rainfall in March and early April,” Department of Environmental Protection Commissioner Shawn LaTourette said in a statement. “In a changing climate, we are increasingly seeing dry conditions between heavy rainfalls, in what we have come to know as ‘flash droughts.’ Despite the recent rain, wildfire risk remains heightened at this time of year, and public awareness of how to stay safe is paramount.”
New Jersey experienced its most active wildfire year in more than a decade in 2023, with 1,193 wildfires burning 18,043 acres statewide. There were 14 major fires — blazes that engulfed 100 acres or more.
Officials stressed that wildfire precautions become more important by the year, as climate change increases the fire threat in New Jersey.
