Forest Fire Risk High

Forestry officials warn that forest fires are a serious threat in many areas of South Jersey. Conditions are dry despite the rain we've gotten this spring. The risk level in our area for forest fires is extreme. The reason for that is there is a lot of fuel for fire out here; lots and lots of trees. Also at risk are the houses in those wooded areas. Still, there are ways to protect yourself.

Plumes of smoke and whisks of flame ravage 4,700 acres in Wharton State Forest in New Jersey. It happened a year ago in the middle of a drought. A couple of weeks ago, it burned again, in the middle of a wet spring.

”Within a short period of time after a rain we can have fires.” New Jersey state forest fire officials say that the ground is so dry when the rains come that the water seeps deep into the ground leaving the top layer dry and susceptible to fire. And with a fast-moving fire, with no way to get in front of it.

Michael remembers several fires in the 79 years he has lived near the forest. He says that he protects himself, but many of his neighbors don't. “They move out here, they want the country, they put a big fence up around them, all kinds of stuff in there, and these woods catch fire, and the sparks start to blow through the air and they can drop this there and lose their house.”

There are ways that you can reduce the risks of a forest fire from burning down your home:
* clean debris from your home, which can be fuel for a fire.
* clean your gutters where debris can pile up.
* rake dry leaves from your yard. They can be ideal fuel for a fire.
* trim your shrubs, especially if they're close to your house.

Fortunately, Michael's home has never burned down. But he has seen enough to know that it can. He says, “Just like anything else you live with it, and you learn.”

New Jersey state fire officials estimate that every single year on average there are 120 forest fires.

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