NASA Images Reveal Extent of Major New Jersey Fire
Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content.
NASA has released striking satellite images that capture the devastating scale of the damage caused by the Jones Road fire, one of the largest wildfires to hit the state of New Jersey in the last two decades.
The images, taken by the Operational Land Imager-2 on Landsat 9, show thick clouds of smoke and burnt landscapes across the Pine Barrens, a coastal forest known for being prone to wildfires.
The fire, which started in the Greenwood Wildlife Management Area near Waretown on April 22, rapidly escalated into an emergency, affecting air quality as far as New York City.
At the time, officials closed off some major roads, including the Garden State Parkway and Route 532 and ordered the evacuation of over 5,000 people in the area. They also cut power for over 25,000 as a precaution. As of April 24, more than 15,000 acres of land had been burned.
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Wildland fires have long been integral to New Jersey's Pinelands, says the Pinelands Preservation Alliance, helping to rejuvenate its ecosystem by adding nutrients to the soil and creating a habitat that is essential for many species.
However, combined with the recent drought and critically low levels of soil moisture and groundwater in the federally protected reserve, the fire quickly spiraled.
Using NASA observations from the GRACE (Gravity Recovery and Climate Experiment) and GRACE-FO (GRACE Follow On) satellites, the National Drought Mitigation Center detected anomalously dry conditions in the Pinelands, classifying the drought in the region as "severe."
Abnormally warm temperatures across New Jersey contributed to the drought, exacerbating the wildfire threat. Thankfully, rain is forecast for Friday and into Saturday, which could assist firefighting efforts.
In the meantime, residents have been advised to monitor real-time updates from the New Jersey Forest Fire Service in case any new evacuation orders are put into place. Those with respiratory conditions have also been advised to stay indoors due to the current air pollution levels.
An air quality official for the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection previously told Newsweek in a statement: "Due to this being an active fire, we are monitoring the conditions and will update if necessary. The next chance of rain is this weekend, which may help improve air quality."
No injuries have been reported so far, although at least one commercial building and several other smaller structures were lost in the fire. As of Thursday, about 50 percent of the fire was contained, and all evacuation orders were lifted.
Authorities have arrested 19-year-old Joseph Kling of Waretown in connection with starting the Jones Road wildfire. He is currently being held in Ocean County Jail, charged with aggravated arson and arson, pending a detention hearing.
Do you have a tip on a science story that Newsweek should be covering? Do you have a question about wildfires? Let us know via science@newsweek.com.
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