Right now, 57 large active wildfires are burning across the United States, having burned a total of 1,009,552 acres, including one in the Garden State.
The New Jersey Forest Fire Service, in coordination with the New Jersey Air National Guard, is managing the response to the Whip-poor-will Wildfire, which has burned 600 acres three miles southwest of Warren Grove, affecting the Warren Grove Air to Ground Range in Burlington and Ocean Counties.
Originally developed as an active duty WW2 weapons research station, Warren Grove Range has been part of the New Jersey Air National Guard for nearly 60 years. The mission of the range is to provide a quality combat training environment for all military air and ground combat forces.
With 9,400 acres of land and 60 square miles of airspace, Warren Grove Range is one of the most utilized Guard ranges in the United States.
Annually, approximately 1,000 sorties from fighter and helicopter users throughout the northeastern United States practice weapons delivery day and night at the range.
Typical users seen at the range include the A-10 Thunderbolt II, F-16C/D Fighting Falcon, and F/A-18 Hornet fighters, AH-1 Super Cobra, UH-1 Venom, CH-53 Super Stallion, and HH-60G Pave Hawk helicopters, as well as C-130 Hercules and C-17 Globemaster III cargo aircraft.
Fire managers across the country are employing full suppression strategies on 50 of these wildfires.
Approximately 19,800 wildland firefighters and support personnel, including 24 complex incident management teams and 6 Type 1 incident management teams, are assigned to these incidents.
Significant wildland fire activity is occurring in most geographic areas, with a high potential for additional large wildland fires to emerge.
National resources such as hotshot crews, airtankers, smokejumpers, and communications equipment are heavily committed. The National Interagency Coordination Center (NICC) is coordinating resource requests with geographic area coordination centers. Due to these factors, the National Multi-Agency Coordinating Group has raised the national preparedness level to PL 5.
Evacuation orders are in place for residents near the Cougar Creek, Lone Rock, Falls, Pioneer, Larch Creek, Durkee, Lake, Texas, Bench Lake, Graff Point, and Hill fires. Residents in evacuated areas are advised to follow local authorities’ instructions for the latest safety recommendations.
The Great Basin Coordination Center’s predictive services staff have issued three fuels and fire behavior advisories for Nevada, Southern Idaho, Utah, and the Arizona Strip. California also has a fuels and fire behavior advisory in effect. Those traveling to or residing in these states should be aware of the elevated fire risks.
The NICC released the National Significant Wildland Fire Potential Outlook for July through October. Additional information about the current outlook can be found on the NICC site. For specific wildfire information, Inciweb is a reliable resource, or local jurisdiction contacts may provide details. Air quality and smoke information is available through the national Fire and Smoke Map.
Hot temperatures near 100°F will persist across the Inland Northwest into eastern Montana, spreading into northern Nevada, northern Utah, and the lower elevations of California. Low afternoon relative humidity below 20% with poor overnight recovery below 30% will continue in these areas.
Breezy westerly winds are expected in the Cascade Gaps of northeast California, Oregon, and Washington. Isolated to scattered mixed wet and dry thunderstorms are likely in central and northeast Nevada into western Utah, eastern Idaho, and central Montana. Cooler conditions and scattered showers are expected from the Plains to the East Coast, with relief from hot temperatures in the Southern Area.
As of today, nine new large fires have been reported. Twelve states currently report large fires, with Oregon, California, and Montana among the most affected. The total acreage from active fires is 618,190, and three fires have been contained.
From January 1 to July 18, 2024, there have been 25,343 fires, burning a total of 3,169,281 acres. Comparatively, in the same period in 2023, there were 27,715 fires, burning 793,198 acres. The year 2022 saw 35,115 fires and 5,475,833 acres burned in the same timeframe. The 10-year average from 2014 to 2023 records 31,272 fires, affecting 2,980,790 acres.
New Jersey faces ongoing wildfire challenges, with an average of 1,500 wildfires damaging or destroying 7,000 acres of forests annually. The state’s high population density increases the risk of fires, as more people build homes in rural wildland areas. The New Jersey Pinelands, one of the most hazardous wildland fuel types in the nation, is particularly prone to intense, fast-spreading fires.
Efforts to reduce wildfire risks in New Jersey include mechanical fuel reduction to thin forests and create strategic fuel breaks. These measures help replicate natural disturbances and provide defensive locations to stop fires in large, contiguous tracts of vegetation.
The current wildfire situation in the United States and New Jersey underscores the need for vigilance, preparedness, and coordinated response efforts. Residents are urged to stay informed and adhere to safety recommendations from local authorities.