New Jersey is ringing alarm bells because the state is past the months when dealing with the drought is easier.

The state remains under drought warning – first declared by Gov. Phil Murphy last Nov. 13 – and Cape May County is still under a severe drought warning, according to the U.S. Drought Monitor.

Now the state is headed into the months when water usage increases significantly as homeowners and landscape crews turn to outside irrigation and when dry trees and underbrush create higher risks of forest fires.

This week state officials from the Department of Environmental Protection warned that conditions are ripe for an active wildfire season. The state Fire Warden’s Office says already this year fires have damaged more than 1,200 acres, more than double the number of acres torched by the same time last year.

The drought affecting the state is known as a water supply drought. Fighting wildfires puts added stress on already pressured water supplies. New Jersey is designated an “extreme risk wildfire state” because of its dense forested areas in the Pinelands in the south and the Highlands in the north.

In his budget proposal delivered in February Murphy added $1 million to the state Forest Fire Service account for added staff. The service currently has 70 full-time firefighters and 1,400 part-time firefighters who can be called into service as needed.

The other big worry expressed by state officials is the arrival of peak irrigation season. To reinforce the need for conservation, the state is launching an awareness initiative on how to reduce water usage when landscaping and caring for lawns. Information is available on the DEP’s Every Drop Counts website.

“Our forests are very dry, and our precious drinking water sources are stressed from lack of precipitation,” DEP Commissioner Shawn LaTourette said. He urged the public to do what it can to prevent wildfires and reduce water use.

Contact the reporter, Vince Conti, at vconti@cmcherald.com.