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The New Jersey Forest Fire Service has lifted statewide fire restrictions following significant rainfall on Wednesday. The restrictions had been in place for several weeks due to dry conditions that increased the risk of wildfires. However, the recent rainfall has reduced the fire danger level to low across the state.
Despite the lifting of restrictions, the Forest Fire Service continues to urge residents to exercise caution when using fire. The decision to lift the restrictions came after thunderstorms in the area resulted in substantial rainfall overnight. According to a local weather station sensor in the Robbinsville-Allentown area, there were six lightning strikes and 0.83 inches of rain reported at the time of the storms.
MidJersey News reports that the rainfall was not evenly distributed across the state, with less than half an inch over southern Delaware and more than 1.5 inches over parts of coastal New Jersey. Despite the variation in rainfall, the overall impact was sufficient to alleviate the fire risk statewide.