Cape May County and most of the rest of the state were at increased risk of fire spreading on Saturday, Nov. 9, according to a special weather statement from the National Weather Service.
A red flag higher warning was put out for all New Jersey counties on Friday, Nov. 8, meaning there were critical fire weather conditions due to a combination of strong winds, low relative humidity and dry fuels. Part of northeast New Jersey remained under that higher warning on Saturday.
The Weather Service statements came as a number of large wildfires, in various stages of containment, have been raging in the state during a worsening drought. They include the Halloween Wildfire in Downe Township in Cumberland County and about a half-dozen other wildfires in Gloucester, Camden, Ocean and Burlington counties.
Some people were smelling smoke in the middle of Cape May County and were expressing concern via social media sites. According to Caryn Shinske, a spokesperson for the state Department of Environmental Protection, the New Jersey Forest Fire Service said the smoke being experienced in Cape May County could possibly be from the Halloween Wildfire in Downe Township.
The Forest Fire Service also referred to a smaller forest fire near Orchard Road in Upper Township, saying it was “very smoky.”
The Cape May County Office of Emergency Management, contacted on Friday, referred to a Smoke Advisory issued by the Forest Fire Service that is posted on the county website. According to the advisory, “New Jersey residents can expect smoke conditions stemming from several large wildfires burning throughout the state to last for several days.”
The Forest Fire Service advisory says the state is experiencing extremely dry conditions, which have allowed fires to burn down into the duff layer of soil. Smoke conditions may worsen during overnight hours, when higher humidity causes smoke to lie low to the ground.
The advisory said smoke might remain in the area until significant rain falls over the fire areas. A 35% chance of rain was expected in the Cape May County area by Sunday, Nov. 10.
The advisory went on to say Forest Fire Service crews “continue to improve containment lines, mop up hot spots along the fire perimeters, patrolling, monitoring and extinguishing hot spots in the fire areas. It is recommended that area residents with respiratory conditions keep all windows and doors closed and limit outdoor activity.”
The entire state is under an outdoor fire ban until further notice; all outdoor fires of any kind are prohibited. According to the Forest Fire Service, this includes charcoal grill fires and kerosene or gas torches, but does not include elevated propane heaters.
Shinske said that, according to the Forest Fire Service, between 2000 and 2023 New Jersey averaged 1,071 wildfires per year. In 2024 so far, the number of wildfires has been 1,214.
Residents who see heavy smoke or flames are asked to call 9-1-1 immediately. If there is a question about the source of smoke or fire, they are asked to call 877-927-6337 or go to https://www.nj.gov/dep/parksandforests/fire.
On Wednesday, Oct. 29, the Seaville Fire & Rescue Department put out what it said was its final update on a fire that affected roughly three acres in a wooded area near 2071 Route 9 near the Cedar Square Shopping Center. The update said the Forest Fire Service was expected to be on the scene anywhere from a few days to a few weeks, “until we have a significant rainfall.”
According to the U.S. Drought Monitor, the drought is worsening across New Jersey, with three South Jersey counties now experiencing extreme drought conditions. Some 93% of Atlantic County is in extreme drought, along with 64% of Ocean County and 62% of Burlington County.
Two other South Jersey counties have smaller areas in extreme drought conditions, with Camden County showing 12% and Cumberland County almost 3%. All of Cape May County is in moderate drought.
The state has had very little rainfall for more than two months, and temperatures have been at unseasonably warm levels. Atlantic City set a new record high on Nov. 6 at 81 degrees. The previous record was 77, and the normal high for the day is 58 degrees.
On Oct. 17, Gov. Phil Murphy declared a drought watch, asking residents to voluntarily conserve water. State officials have warned that if conditions continue to worsen, the drought watch could be elevated to a drought warning or even a drought emergency, under which the state would impose mandatory water-use restrictions for homeowners and commercial users.
Herald reporter Vince Conti contributed to this report.
Contact the reporter, Christopher South, at csouth@cmcherald.com or 609-886-8600, ext. 128.
