In mid-April, a 160-acre wildfire in West Deptford spread smoke and ash across the area. It took the state’s Forest Fire Service nearly seven hours to contain it.
Months of dry conditions helped fuel the fire, experts say.
New Jersey is currently in a drought warning, according to the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection. In the last 24 months, the state received below-average moisture in all but three months. Governor Mikie Sherrill has urged residents to voluntarily cut back on water use.
This raises concerns as the Garden State heads into the summer months, according to New Jersey State Climatologist Dr. David Robinson.
“If we don’t get a normal rainfall pattern pretty quickly, we’re gonna be in a war,” said Robinson. “We’re going have to worry about wildfires come May and June.”
Long drought periods and hotter temperatures due to climate change have not only made wildfires more frequent and intense, but have also extended the length of the wildfire season to four to five months.
Experts hope that the coming months bring some relief. In normal weather conditions, humidity and moisture increase as summer approaches, according to Robinson.
“Grasses start greening up, and that puts moisture into the grasses, which reduces fire danger,” says Robinson. “Deciduous trees are coming into leaf, and therefore shading what we call the understory of the forest. And that keeps the forest floor moist longer, keeps it a little less hot.”
Weaker winds and heavier thunderstorms in the summer also assist in preventing huge fire breakouts.
“But, and there’s always one big but… you still need to have rainfall to minimize the danger,” said Robinson.
South Jersey is the most impacted by drought, whereas North Jersey has been getting more water with each rainfall. But the amount of rain that falls on one day matters less than the frequency of rainfall over time.
New Jersey inches closer to a drought emergency, and therefore a higher risk of wildfire, for every month that doesn’t provide enough regular moisture patterns.
“As we go into the summer, and if we get close to average rainfall and it falls in a timely manner, we’ll dodge this,” Robinson said. “Otherwise, we may have all types of problems.”
In preparation for wildfire season, the state recently opened the first new fire tower in 78 years in Jackson Township. The state also announced $90,000 in grants to 22 communities for wildfire prevention.
