So, there’s this huge wildfire in New Jersey, right? Like, it’s spring and the trees are all dead-looking and the whole place is on fire. About 11,500 acres burned in Ocean County, and the Garden State Parkway was closed, causing chaos for everyone. The fire department said they contained 30% of the blaze by Wednesday afternoon.
Apparently, the state cut back on prescribed burns this year because it was too hot and dry. Not really sure why this matters, but the Forest Fire Service usually burns 25,000 acres every spring, but this year they only did like 3,320 acres. Sounds like a big difference to me.
The state is facing a serious fire risk because of the lack of rain and snow. The forest fire service is struggling to keep up, and it looks like it’s gonna be a rough fire season. New Jersey is just one example of how the whole country is dealing with more fires due to unpredictable weather patterns.
Experts are saying that prescribed burns need to happen more often to prevent wildfires. They should be based on the weather each month, not just during certain seasons. It’s all about mimicking natural wildfires without causing damage.
So, bottom line, New Jersey is at risk of more fires because of drier conditions and less prescribed burns. The state needs to step up its game to prevent wildfires and protect communities. Sounds like a big job to me.
