There are about 1,500 wildfires a year in New Jersey, according to the state Forest Fire Service.įorest fires are a common occurrence in the Pine Barrens, a 1.1 million-acre state and federally protected reserve about halfway between Philadelphia to the west and the Atlantic coast to the east. And despite its status as the nation's most densely populated state, 40% of it is forest. The state on Wednesday banned campfires and imposed restrictions on charcoal or gas fires.Īpril is the peak month for forest fires in New Jersey, officials said. “It was like, ‘You grab the dog, I’ll grab this and let's go.’ When we got back here this morning and saw that everything was still here, it was like prayers had been answered."Īlthough the state is not in a drought, there's no chance of rain until the weekend in the part of New Jersey where the fire is burning. “We left so fast I didn't even bring socks,” she said. His wife, Cynthia Tiemper, said burning embers were landing in their back yard Tuesday night, making them decide to evacuate even before the fire department knocked on their door at 10:45 p.m. “We saw the red glow in the sky, and every time the wind would shift, it got worse,” said Jason Cylenica, who lives in the neighborhood closest to the fire. No one was injured and no homes were damaged, although firefighters said 20 structures were still considered threatened Wednesday afternoon, by which time the fire had been 60% contained. Helicopters were filling large containers with water from a nearby lake Wednesday and dropping it on the flames. The blaze in Manchester, near Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst, forced the evacuation of around 170 homes late Tuesday, with police and fire officials going door-to-door to ask people to take temporary shelter at a nearby high school. The agency cautioned that dry, windy conditions similar to those in New Jersey were increasing the danger of forest fires elsewhere, too. The 200-foot wall of flames, the burning embers landing miles away and the carloads of evacuees fleeing to shelter at a high school - it all took place in New Jersey but could happen in almost every part of the country this week due to dry conditions and strong winds that have raised the danger of forest fires.Īs firefighters worked Wednesday to contain a fire that tore through 6 square miles (15 square kilometers) of New Jersey's Pine Barrens, the National Weather Service issued so-called “red flag warnings” on Wednesday for 20 states spanning the nation.
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