AccuWeather's Ali Reid was live from New Jersey on Sept. 11, where abnormally dry conditions are raising the wildfire risk this fall.

Medford

The New Jersey Forest Fire Service is responding to an early start to wildfire season, which typically begins in mid-October but has arrived a month ahead of schedule due to abnormally dry conditions and moderate drought across the state. Officials are concerned that the lack of significant rainfall has left grass, brush, and fallen leaves highly flammable, raising the risk of wildfires.

To address the heightened threat, the service has pre-positioned extra personnel and equipment in vulnerable areas and increased public outreach to stress fire prevention. While New Jersey crews are also assisting with wildfires in other states, local officials are preparing for a potentially busy fall season, emphasizing that wildfire risk is growing in the Northeast as well as the West.

Forest fire service braces for busy fall in New Jersey

In New Jersey, what's typically a mid-October to Thanksgiving concern is already underway a month ahead of schedule. I believe we had this same conversation as we went in the fall last year. And I'm pretty sure she was standing in the same spot. Normally dry conditions on moderate drought are fueling the risk. Our Ali Reid live this morning from Medford, New Jersey, on what the Forest Fire Service is doing to prepare. You know how much I love Medford, Ali. Well, Ari, Bernie, you picked up on something really important here. I was actually here live last year from the Medford Fire Tower. This is one of a number of fire towers across the state of New Jersey that is used actively on a weekly basis here. There are men and women that go up to the top there that are keeping an eye out for a number of these wildfires. And right now is so important to do so. And it was in this location last year, just minutes after we broke down being live for the morning on AccuWeather early, that one of the crew members on top of the fire here actually spotted a major wildfire here that happened in the state. Now, conversations that we've been having with local officials here is that, yeah, we are ahead of schedule, that right now it is a major concern for wildfires across the state of New Jersey. It is abnormally dry and they're worried that this could potentially be another very busy wildfire season ahead of them. Now, I want to take to some video. This just gives you an idea as to the conditions that we're seeing really in wooded conditions in those forested areas to show you how dry it really is right now. The Forest Fire Service says they have already started pre-positioning extra personnel in vulnerable areas, keeping more engines and equipment staffed and stepping up public outreach to stress prevention here. The ground across much of New Jersey, already very dry as we said, right, but despite some scattered rain, it hasn't been enough to erase weeks and essentially months of abnormally dry weather with pockets of moderate drought persisting across the state. That lack of moisture leaves grass, brush and even the colorful fall leaves on the ground much more flammable. Now, officials say the fire season typically ramps up in mid-October once the bulk of leaves have dropped, but this year conditions are running a full month ahead of schedule, meaning the fire danger is already here. We had several fires over the holiday weekend just last week. We've had sporadic scattered rain and again it will take significant amount of rainfall. So even if we're not in a declared drought, you know, the compounded effect of continual drying with leaf drop and the fact that the vegetation is losing its moisture, you know, are going to be factors that contribute to fire spread, fire starts. And fire officials stress there's no real off-season for the New Jersey Forest Fire Service. Even as they prepare for a busy fall here at home, crews are also assisting in Colorado, Washington and Montana. They were also in California for a long period as well, sharing resources and expertise to battle some of the nation's largest wildfires. It's a reminder that wildfire risk is not just a western issue, but one that is continuously growing here in the northeast as well. And that's important to know. You know, I got talking to these crews yesterday. They tell me that even out west, when traditionally they would go in the summer months when it's still a lot quieter here, so we're talking July and August, they said this year they were even responding earlier than usual in places like Montana and Colorado and California as early as June. Now thankfully, they have the resources in the summer to do so. Now the goal is, is that once we get into the fall time, should it be as busy as it was last year in the state of New Jersey, it means that some of those crews out west can be able to be deployed out this way too. And that is something that they are keeping in mind, guys, as they're leading into this season. They expect with the dry conditions here, you can kind of see it around us too, the start of it as the leaves begin to fall, that it's going to be a tough one here in the state. My concern is, and we were just talking with Brandon, the first front with some wind and if things don't moisten up, I think we're going to have some problems here. So it's better, better to be ready and be prepared. Ali Reed, sounding the alarm for New Jersey this morning.

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