By Isabella Darcy
News Editor
Wildfires are burning throughout New Jersey amid a statewide drought watch that has been in effect since Oct. 17. To mitigate the spread of more fires, state and local governments, along with the College, are urging people to adhere to fire safety protocols.
The Office of Ewing Township Mayor Bert Steinmann sent out an alert Tuesday, informing residents of a mandatory statewide Stage Three Fire Restriction that the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection implemented earlier this month. The Stage Three Restriction prohibits all fires unless they are contained in an elevated stove using only propane, natural gas or electricity.
“We are currently experiencing some of the driest conditions ever, making our forests…especially vulnerable to wildfires that could spread very quickly and threaten property,” said Environmental Protection Commissioner Shawn M. LaTourette in an Oct. 23 news release. “It is critical that members of the public be extra cautious about fire prevention and refrain from using any open flames.”
The campus community received a reminder about fire safety and proper cigarette butt disposal earlier this week from the College’s emergency preparedness and fire safety manager, Daniel Posluszky.
“Dry conditions and the presence of flammable materials like mulch and shrubbery significantly increase the risk of fires,” Posluszky said in an email to the campus community. “Improperly discarded cigarette butts are a common cause of wildfires and can easily ignite these materials.”
Prolonged dry conditions across the state make New Jersey especially susceptible to wildfires.
According to the State of New Jersey 2024 All-Hazard Mitigation Plan, wildfires can start from lightning or other natural causes but are most frequently ignited by human activity. These fires can damage natural resources, destroy homes and threaten human lives and safety.
Some students at the College study the environment in classes, organizations and initiatives. An environmental sustainability initiative, Campus as a Living Lab, has been active on campus since last October, and environmental studies was added to the College’s list of major options at the beginning of this semester. Many students involved in these keep up with the current state of the environment.
Peri Wiser, a senior environmental studies major, was surprised when she first noticed that New Jersey had not gotten rain for a while. When the statewide fire restrictions were announced, the realness of the situation sunk in for her.
“I feel like this doesn’t happen ever in New Jersey,” Wiser said. “People need to be careful. I don’t think the fire restrictions are very effective. I think it gives a good warning to people who actually care and listen, but it won’t stop people from having fires if they want to.”
Wiser was not the only student who was initially surprised by the current drought conditions. Dana Laissle, a senior sociology major and intern for Campus as a Living Lab, was shocked by the severity of the conditions, but made more sense of them upon further consideration.
“While working on planting native plants on campus this semester with CaLL and the first-year Community Engaged Learning program, we found very quickly how dry it has been and how little rain we've gotten this fall,” Laissle said.
The intern told The Signal that it is important, for both human and environmental health, to make efforts to prevent droughts and wildfires from happening again.
“The biggest thing is educating and notifying the public on the restrictions and measures being put in place so additional restrictions are not as necessary,” Laissle said. “Each of us doing what we can to help the environment is going to be the most impactful, even if it seems simple.”
Laissle was in Burlington, New Jersey, earlier this week, and said that when she walked outside, it smelled smokey.
“I think [wildfires] can affect our communities much faster and more easily than we realize,” Laissle said.
New Jersey has experienced over 900 wildfires this year, which have burned nearly 6,800 acres across the state. Most wildfires can be avoided if people adhere to wildfire safety measures, according to the Oct. 23 news release.
“Please do your part to keep our community safe and litter-free,” said Posluszky. “Report any unsafe fire conditions to the Emergency Preparedness Manager or Campus Police immediately.”
