Multiple wildfires burn in New Jersey amid extreme drought conditions; evacuation orders lifted
The lack of rain in the Philadelphia region has led to some of the driest conditions in nearly 120 years.
EVESHAM Twp., N.J. (WPVI) -- The lack of rain in the Philadelphia region has led to some of the driest conditions in nearly 120 years.
There are multiple large wildfires are burning in New Jersey this week.
The first started in Jackson Township, Ocean County on Wednesday. As of Friday, the fire has spread to 350 acres and is 90% contained.
Two other fires started on Thursday. The Pheasant Run Wildfire, in Glassboro Wildlife Management Area, covers 133 acres. It's 75% contained and isn't threatening any structures.
There is also another in Evesham Township. That fire forced evacuations and was threatening about 100 homes, but luckily for residents, evacuation orders were lifted Thursday night.
Crews say they are making progress in containing the wildfire that has threatened dozens of buildings at the border of Burlington and Camden counties in the Garden State.
"We're going to keep patrolling this fire, making sure things are good keep up that containment percentage," said Trevor Raynor, NJFFS Assistant Division Forest Fire Warden.
The fire is located in Evesham and Voorhees townships.
The blaze, dubbed the Bethany Run Wildfire, pans 360 acres and is 90% contained, the New Jersey Forest Fire Service said.
Officials say a total of 104 structures were threatened before crews got a handle on the fire.
It was scary moments for Christine Bernat as intense flames and smoke from the wildfire sparked in the woods behind her Evesham Township home.
"I was crying and everything, didn't know if my stuff was going to be lost," she said.
Officials say a helicopter capable of dropping 350 gallons of water has been deployed, as have fire engines, bulldozers and ground crews.
There is also a large brush fire broke out on the Palisades Interstate Parkway in Bergen County in northern New Jersey, near New York City. The fire covers 19 acres and is 30% contained, the New Jersey Forest Fire Service said. No structures are threatened.
Red Flag Warning
A Red Flag Warning has been issued from Boston to New York City and Philadelphia to Washington, D.C., as winds will be gusting up to 30mph combined with very low relative humidity. This could lead to rapidly spreading wildfires.
Officials say the extremely dry weather has fueled these flames.
"It just seems like it's been nonstop," said Bill Donnelly, chief of the New Jersey Forest Fire Service. "The folks that are out here fighting these fires, they get little to no rest depending on the occasion and how busy they are."
"The issue is so many fires occurring in different places, each one demanding resources and response, it just kind of spreads the agency thin," said Matthew Olson, an environmental science professor at Stockton University.
The latest drought monitors have about 95% of the Philadelphia region in severe conditions for the first time since 2002, with the worst in Berks County and the New Jersey Pine Barrens.
This has forced burn bans across the Delaware Valley.
The causes of all of these fires remain under investigation.
There are road closures in the area as well, so be careful as you're driving through the area.
October saw a record number of wildfires for the NJ Forest fire service.
Limit Water Usage
Pennsylvania American Water is asking customers in Norristown and Royersford to voluntarily limit water usage.
The company suggests odd-numbered houses water their lawns and outdoor plants on odd-numbered days, while even-numbered addresses do the opposite.
People can also stop running the water while brushing their teeth and take showers instead of baths.
