How to protect yourself as New Jersey braces for another hellish wildfire season

🚒 Over 200 wildfires have already sparked in New Jersey as dry conditions fuel concern statewide.

🚒 Fears of a repeat of 2025’s catastrophic Jones Road Fire in Ocean County.

🚒 1.3M residents in drought zones as experts warn peak wildfire season is underway.

Over 200 wildfires have spread across New Jersey this spring, and firefighters expect to deal with hundreds more.

Why dry conditions are raising alarms for wildfire season 2026

The state is concerningly dry despite this winter's historic snowstorms and last week's rain. Around 1.3 million New Jerseyans live in areas experiencing moderate drought. All of New Jersey is at least abnormally dry, according to the latest U.S. Drought Monitor report.

These conditions are perfect for wildfires, which don't need intense summer heat to spread. Peak wildfire season in New Jersey runs through mid-May.

"Unfortunately, Mother Nature will have the final say on what this spring fire season will hold. With the limited rain in the forecast for the next couple weeks, we are expecting to be busy," said State Fire Warden Bill Donnelly.

There's plenty of time for sparks to fly, but this year has seen less activity so far compared to the same period in 2025.

Wildfire statistics show 2025 was dangerously active

🔥 In 2025, over 1,300 wildfires consumed 27,000 acres of land in New Jersey.

🔥 On average, wildfires only chew through 5,000 acres each year, according to the state Department of Environmental Protection.

🔥 More than half of the land charred last year was consumed in a single wildfire.

On April 22, 2025, the Jones Road Wildfire ignited in Barnegat Township. It was one of New Jersey's largest wildfires of the last two decades.

The Jones Road Wildfire went on to consume 15,300 acres, or 24 square miles. That's large enough to fit the entire city of Trenton inside it nearly three times.

A state of emergency was declared in Ocean County as thousands of people had to evacuate their homes. A door and awning business in Lacey was destroyed.

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Jones Road Wildfire aftermath

Two teens, including then-18-year-old Joseph Kling and a 17-year-old, were charged with starting the blaze by improperly extinguishing a pellet fire. Those charges are still pending. A defense attorney has said that Kling was the scapegoat for other teens responsible for the fire.

While the Jones Road Wildfire was massive, wildfires are dangerous regardless of size. Donnelly, the state fire warden, said that more often than not, it's smaller fires that end up impacting structures or shutting down roads.

How to prevent wildfires in New Jersey

The fire warden asks residents to take preventive measures. Those include cleaning dry leaves out of gutters and clearing the area around homes of potential fuel, like branches and mulch.

New Jerseyans can also check the Wildfire Risk Assessment Portal provided by the state Forest Fire Service. It offers tips for individuals and maps of areas that are at the greatest risk of wildfires.

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