New Jersey Wildfire Seemed Almost Like California Disaster

 A large wildfire in New Jersey of all places destroyed a couple
businesses, slightly damaged two dozen homes, critically
injured a firefighter and shut down part of the Garden
State Parkway on Sunday 

UPDATED 3/17/21:

Video added to the bottom of this post shows just how chaotic the wildfire was.

Smoke and the sound of sirens, helicopters and firefighting aircraft filled the air.  Traffic backed up as bewildered motorists encountered thick smoke, fire trucks, detours and flames.

The fire burned through a classic urban/forest interface.  One large commercial structure was entirely destroyed. 

Spot fires broke out everywhere around and in home and business landscapes.   Mulch, hay bales, fencing and other material burst into flames at Home Depot. 

Judging by the looks of things, this barely avoided becoming much worse.   There could have been hundreds of homes and businesses lost had the firefighting effort been not as robust as it was, or had winds been a little stronger, or.... Anyway, check out the video at the bottom of this post from Jersey Shore Fire Response.

PREVIOUS DISCUSSION

This will sound like a headline out of California, but this is New Jersey yesterday: 

A wildfire raced through 170 acres, damaging about 30 homes and businesses amid dry conditions that threaten more fires today. The fire also closed part of the Garden State Parkway. 

All this happened Sunday around Lakewood and Brick, New Jersey.  Strong winds and very dry conditions rapidly spread the flames. 

When first reported early Sunday afternoon, it covered less than half the size of a football field. Within minutes it began roaring through dry pine forests mixed in with densely populated neighborhoods and commercial districts.

One firefighter suffered critical injuries during the battle against the blaze.

All told, though, the destruction could have been worse. As NJ.com reports:

"Brick police announced evacuations in the Brick Lake Park area and several stores and a hotel along Route 70 at about 4 p.m. At about 6:30 p.m., police alerted residents they could return to their homes. Brick Mayor John Ducey told local media that 29 homes were damaged in Brick Lake Park, three that were uninhabitable."

A commercial building was also destroyed, and another damaged. 

People near the fire who were not evacuated did something more familiar to Californians than residents of the normally soggy east: They put important papers and valuables in their cars to they could bail out quickly if the flames got too close. 

Winds gusted to 40 mph and the humidity was a very low 20 percent at the time of the fire. The fire burned through last night and was only partly contained, so it still represents a threat today. 

New Jersey is once again under a Red Flag Warning for fire danger today. Gusty winds continue, along with very dry conditions. 

Southern New Jersey had its 14th consecutive day without precipitation Monday, a new record for March.  This time of year is usually stormy and wet along the East Coast. 

The Northeast has had an especially dry and windy March so far, raising concerns about fire danger all the way through New England. Brush fires have so far this month been reported as far north as Massachusetts and Rhode Island. 

As I noted in a post yesterday, if this weather pattern continues, fire danger could definitely rise in Vermont later this month and April.

It might have already started. This afternoon, traffic was disrupted along Interstate 89 in Colchester, Vermont while crews battled a relatively small, but real brush fire along the highway. 

Video of New Jersey wildfire, from Jersey Shore Fire Response: