🔥 Human activity started 99.6% of New Jersey’s wildfires last year.
⚠️ Campfires caused two major fires and more than 23 square miles of damage.
As a severe drought continues to dry out New Jersey, the state warns that wildfires don’t start on their own.
Out of more than 1,300 wildfires in the Garden State last year, only six were caused by lightning. All combined, they burned less than two acres of land. That’s dwarfed by the impact that humans have had on state forests.
Human activity started 99.6% of wildfires in New Jersey, according to a new state Department of Environmental Protection report. New Jersey Forest Fire Service Chief Bill Donnelly said it explains why firefighters worked for weeks without breaks in 2025.
“The data in this report is an important tool for educating New Jerseyans and helping them understand that human behavior drives the vast majority of wildfires in the state, underscoring Smokey Bear’s message that ‘only you can prevent wildfires,’” Donnelly said.
(AP Photo/Damian Dovarganes)(AP Photo/Damian Dovarganes)
Overwhelmingly, most wildfires were caused by equipment use, such as vehicle fires, equipment malfunctions, and utility infrastructure. The report said more than 480 incidents burned through 527 acres.
That’s a relatively small amount of land burned compared to the 27,229 acres that were consumed in New Jersey last year.
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The Jones Road Wildfire seen from Forked River on April 22, 2025. (Listener submitted)Jones Road Wildfire seen from Forked River4/22/25
But campfires were the biggest culprits in terms of total damage to the state. Of the nine major wildfires in 2025, two were caused by campfires. Fewer than 140 campfires were responsible for consuming 15,264 acres — or nearly 24 square miles.
By far, the Jones Road Wildfire had the largest impact. It was the second-largest wildfire of the past two decades and, on its own, burned 14,949 acres — or 23 square miles. According to Ocean County prosecutors, it was caused by a mismanaged bonfire. A 19-year-old man was charged with aggravated arson and arson.
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Frightening scenes of the Jones Road Wildfire
The smoke from the Jones Road Wildfire in a forest of Ocean County on April 22, 2025, could be seen for miles, including from the coast.
Gallery Credit: New Jersey 101.5
Wildfire in the Bass River State Forest in Little Egg Harbor 5/16/21
A fire in the Bass River State Forest burned through woods along Route 9 in both Ocean and Burlington Counties.
Gallery Credit: Dan Alexander
