Wildfire in New Jersey State Park Burns 1,000 Acres
Fire crews in New Jersey were working overnight to contain a wildfire that was reported in a state park on Saturday and quickly grew to 1,000 acres, officials said.
The New Jersey Forest Fire Service reported the blaze, known as the California Branch Wildfire, in Wharton State Forest on Saturday afternoon. Two campgrounds were evacuated, and several roads in the area were closed. The forest is about 30 miles southeast of Philadelphia.
As of 11 p.m., the wildfire had grown to 1,000 acres across Burlington and Camden counties, the state fire service said on social media. It was only 20 percent contained.
But no injuries had been reported, and the agency said that the fire was moving away from 18 structures it had been threatening. The statewide risk of fire danger was only moderate, the second-lowest classification of a five-tier scale, according to the agency's website.
New Jersey's wildfire season typically peaks between mid-March and mid-May. Officials worry that the state may be in for a rough one this year because it had an exceptionally dry fall and the third-driest January on record.
As of March 13, the state forest fire service had already responded since early January to 381 wildfires that burned a total of 1,242 acres, according to data from the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection. That was a 266 percent increase over the same period in 2024.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Yahoo
It wasn't your imagination: May was the fifth wettest on record in NJ
After a long period of drought, New Jersey saw the fifth wettest May on record, according to a spring 2025 recap from the state climatologist's office. With all the rain that May provided, New Jersey reservoirs that supply drinking water to residents have been almost completely restored, said David Robinson, a Rutgers professor and the state climatologist. New Jersey is nearly out of its drought period and has sufficient reservoir levels for the hotter summer months ahead — and more rain is expected in the next few days. 'The Department of Environmental Protection is still cautious about this, and they have still retained the state in a drought warning primarily because the groundwater is being slow to respond, particularly in South Jersey,' Robinson 2024 was the driest in the state dating back to 1895, when records were first kept. New Jersey had not only the driest October on record, but it was the driest of any month in the state since 1895, Robinson said. The lack of precipitation in the fall and winter months were the result of patterns of precipitation in New England and around the Great Lakes that were just missing New Jersey as they passed by, Robinson said. Coastal storms such as Nor'easters are also sources of moisture for the area, but they didn't come until April and May when the pattern shifted. La Niña, a storm pattern in the Pacific Ocean, is possibly a reason other coastal storms were irregular due to sea surface temperatures, atmospheric pressure and wind patterns changing, Robinson said. 'A lot of what we are talking about here and what happened in May, that's just weather patterns that are associated with the day-to-day fluctuations in circulation,' Robinson said. 'That's what makes it so difficult to unravel all of this and explain all of this.' North Jersey reservoir levels dropped to nearly 20% below average between the months of January and March, according to data from the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection. In April and May, those reservoirs' water levels shot up to about 10% above average. For instance, the three reservoirs operated by Veolia along the Hackensack River in Bergen County — the Oradell Reservoir, Lake Tappan and Woodcliff Lake — had dropped to just above 50% of capacity by February, and well below the historical average for that time of year. By the end of May, they had rebounded to 100% capacity. The reservoirs rely on winter to supply them with water in time for the summer, Robinson said. The just-below normal precipitation in spring slightly reduced the statewide drought, but the large amounts of rain in May were able to replenish the reservoirs. 'We should always be careful with our use of water, because New Jersey's freshwater supplies are quite finite, and they can change pretty quickly,' Robinson said. 'With just a couple of hot, dry months, we could be back into a worrisome position again. The indicators are that we won't, but better to be careful.' The area will get more rain in the next few days with stronger showers the evening of June 6 and lighter showers the evening of June 7, according to the National Weather Service. July and August are also generally the wettest months of the year, so a drought in New Jersey this summer is not likely, Robinson said. 'Patterns become more local or regional during the summer, so it's hard to get a grasp on just what's going to unfold,' he said. 'However, there is some indication that this summer will lean toward the normal to somewhat above normal precipitation pattern.' This article originally appeared on May 2025 was 5th wettest on record in NJ, as reservoirs rebound
Yahoo
27-04-2025
- Yahoo
New Jersey wildfire: Strong winds complicate firefighters' efforts
Firefighters continue to battle a wildfire in New Jersey that has burned over 15,000 acres, with strong winds on Sunday complicating their efforts, officials said. The Jones Road Wildfire, located in Ocean County, has burned 15,300 acres and is only 65% contained as of Sunday, according to the New Jersey Forest Fire Service. The National Weather Service issued an "increased risk of rapid fire spread" for Sunday afternoon for portions of southern New Jersey. Minimum humidity values will be around 30% to 35%, combined with "northwest winds 15 to 20 mph with 30 to 40 mph gusts." Officials said these windy conditions are complicating the containment process for this wildfire, with the gusts causing already-burned trees to fall throughout the woods, creating serious hazards. "The NJ State Forest Fire Service is again requesting for folks to stay out of the woods that were affected," the Lacey Township Police Department said in a statement on Sunday. "It's a dangerous combination of fire and wind." Firefighter operations will continue for the "next several days" due to these powerful winds, officials said. MORE: New Jersey wildfire explodes to 13,250 acres, could be largest in nearly 20 years The NWS said the wind should "diminish fairly rapidly by early this evening." The New Jersey State Forest Service is urging the public to avoid fire-affected wooded areas, warning of dangerous conditions. The NWS also said outdoor burning is "strongly discouraged" during this time. Trace amounts of rain fell over the southern portion of the fire on Saturday, and precipitation that "varied in amount" hit the northern section of the flames. Crews are "currently mopping up hotspots and patrolling the fire perimeter," the forest fire service said. So far, one commercial building and multiple outbuildings and vehicles were destroyed by flames, with a complete damage assessment underway, officials said. Officials said they will provide more updates on the fire's containment on Monday afternoon. The Jones Road Wildfire was first spotted at approximately 9:45 a.m. on April 22 in the Greenwood Wildlife Management area in Waretown, New Jersey, officials said. A 19-year-old man, Joseph Kling of Waretown, was arrested on suspicion of starting the fire and charged with second-degree aggravated arson for allegedly purposely destroying a forest; and third-degree arson for allegedly recklessly endangering buildings or structures, New Jersey officials announced on Thursday. MORE: Teen charged with allegedly starting massive New Jersey wildfire Kling was arrested after investigators determined the fire to be "incendiary by an improperly extinguished bonfire," officials said. The origin of the fire, according to investigators, is near the Waretown address the Kling listed as his home. During his first court appearance on Thursday afternoon, Kling did not enter a plea to the charges. A detention hearing is scheduled for Tuesday. -ABC News' Jason Volack and Bill Hutchinson contributed to this report. New Jersey wildfire: Strong winds complicate firefighters' efforts originally appeared on
27-04-2025
New Jersey wildfire: Strong winds complicate firefighters' efforts
Firefighters continue to battle a wildfire in New Jersey that has burned over 15,000 acres, with strong winds on Sunday complicating their efforts, officials said. The Jones Road Wildfire, located in Ocean County, has burned 15,300 acres and is only 65% contained as of Sunday, according to the New Jersey Forest Fire Service. The National Weather Service issued an "increased risk of rapid fire spread" for Sunday afternoon for portions of southern New Jersey. Minimum humidity values will be around 30% to 35%, combined with "northwest winds 15 to 20 mph with 30 to 40 mph gusts." Officials said these windy conditions are complicating the containment process for this wildfire, with the gusts causing already-burned trees to fall throughout the woods, creating serious hazards. "The NJ State Forest Fire Service is again requesting for folks to stay out of the woods that were affected," the Lacey Township Police Department said in a statement on Sunday. "It's a dangerous combination of fire and wind." Firefighter operations will continue for the "next several days" due to these powerful winds, officials said. The NWS said the wind should "diminish fairly rapidly by early this evening." The New Jersey State Forest Service is urging the public to avoid fire-affected wooded areas, warning of dangerous conditions. The NWS also said outdoor burning is "strongly discouraged" during this time. Trace amounts of rain fell over the southern portion of the fire on Saturday, and precipitation that "varied in amount" hit the northern section of the flames. Crews are "currently mopping up hotspots and patrolling the fire perimeter," the forest fire service said. So far, one commercial building and multiple outbuildings and vehicles were destroyed by flames, with a complete damage assessment underway, officials said. Officials said they will provide more updates on the fire's containment on Monday afternoon. The Jones Road Wildfire was first spotted at approximately 9:45 a.m. on April 22 in the Greenwood Wildlife Management area in Waretown, New Jersey, officials said. A 19-year-old man, Joseph Kling of Waretown, was arrested on suspicion of starting the fire and charged with second-degree aggravated arson for allegedly purposely destroying a forest; and third-degree arson for allegedly recklessly endangering buildings or structures, New Jersey officials announced on Thursday. Kling was arrested after investigators determined the fire to be "incendiary by an improperly extinguished bonfire," officials said. The origin of the fire, according to investigators, is near the Waretown address the Kling listed as his home. During his first court appearance on Thursday afternoon, Kling did not enter a plea to the charges. A detention hearing is scheduled for Tuesday.
