Ocean County Currently At Moderate Risk Of Wildfires

With fall arriving and cooler temperatures tempting us to christen our backyard fire pits for the season, dry conditions across New Jersey are putting parts of the state under fire restrictions due to wildfire concerns.

The New Jersey Forest Fire Service has placed parts of half a dozen northern New Jersey counties under a campfire restriction, the Shore and south Jersey are also edging toward the danger zone, with a Moderate risk level for wildfires.

The counties in yellow, with a High risk level are under a Stage 1 Campfire Restriction, which the New Jersey Forest Fire Service defines like this:

Fires directly on the ground will be prohibited unless in a prepared fire ring. Fires on mineral soil which will not endanger the forest, such as in a gravel pit, may be permitted at the discretion of the Forest Firewarden issuing the permit. A prepared fire ring must be constructed of steel, stone, brick, or concrete with a gravel or masonry base.

With nearly 14 million acres already burned in 2019, more than 10 times the 2018 loss, you can help prevent new wildfires by keeping up with the latest wildfire forecasts and warnings by clicking here for the New Jersey Forest Fire Service website.