Residents across New Jersey have reported a smoky smell. This smell is caused by the several wildfires that have burned across the state, including in Passaic, Bergen, Ocean County, and more. Read on for what we know about the wildfires in New Jersey, including details about which fires have been contained, the cause of the fires, and statewide restrictions.

The Details

Over the past week, seven wildfires have spread across New Jersey, six of which have reached sufficient containment levels, and one that still burns in Northern New Jersey as of this writing.

As of November 11th, the Jennings Creek Fire is still active along West Milford’s Greenwood Lake Turnpike and East Shore Road in Passaic County and parts of Orange County, New York.

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According to a video posted on Facebook by Steve Neuhaus, the County Executive of Orange County, one death due to the fire has been accounted for. On November 8th, forest ranger Dariel Vasquez was killed when a tree collapsed and fell on him when attending to the fire.

The New Jersey Forest Fire Service reported on X that 10% of this 3,000-acre fire is currently contained. However, 25 structures are still threatened, including residential homes in the Long Pond Ironworks Historic District of West Milford and East Shore Road in Greenwood Lake, New York.

The Shotgun Wildfire in Jackson Township, the Bethany Run fire in Burlington and Camden Counties, the Wharton State Forest fire in Camden County, the Pheasant Run fire in Glassboro, the Englewood Cliffs fire in Englewood Cliffs, and Cannonball 3 Wildfire in Pompton Lakes have all been contained. Check out the New Jersey Forest Fire X page for further updates.

The Cause of the Wildfires

Although the cause of most of these fires is still under investigation, the state’s drought status has been a contributing factor. 

According to Drought.gov, 8.8 million New Jersey residents are experiencing various levels of drought. Northern New Jersey has a moderate level of drought, whereas Central and parts of Southern New Jersey are experiencing severe drought. The coast of Southern New Jersey, including Ocean, Burlington, and Atlantic County, is reported to be in extreme drought. 

Some of the state’s water supply is reported to have normal streamflow conditions. However, most of New Jersey is experiencing below, much below, or lower-than-average conditions. See the map of streamflow conditions nationwide here.

Note that the statewide drought has impacted reservoirs across the state. Notably, the Jersey City Reservoir’s water levels have decreased due to the lack of rain. According to the Jersey City Times, The Jersey City Municipal Utilities Authority reported a seven-foot decline from the dam’s spill line.

 

Updates on the Shotgun Wildfire

The Shotgun Wildfire in Jackson Township has been ruled an act of arson, according to a Facebook post by the Ocean County Prosecutor’s Office.

On November 6th at the Central Jersey Rifle Range in Jackson Township, an individual by the name of Richard Shashaty fired a round of magnesium shards out of a Dragons Breath, a 12 gauge shotgun, igniting various combustibles on the berm of the rifle range. 

Because the firing of this kind of ammunition is prohibited in New Jersey, the individual has been charged with Arson and Violation of the Regulatory Provisions Relating to Firearms.

Statewide Restrictions

With little to no rain reported across all of New Jersey, the state is still at high risk for wildfires. The NJ Fire Danger Dashboard on the NJDEP website states that the fire danger is still high in Northern and Central New Jersey and extremely high in Southern New Jersey. 

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As of November 11th, a Stage 3 Restriction is still in effect, according to the NJDEP. This means residents are prohibited from igniting charcoal fires, fires in wooded areas, and agricultural burning. The only exceptions are fires contained in an elevated stove that use propane, natural gas, gas, or electricity.

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