Have you ever experienced a drought? Well, New Jersey has been in a deep drought for months. The last time there was a great amount of rainfall was in August, where we had 6.52 inches of rain. Now, with all of this lack of water, it has caused many forest fires to rage out into the wild, including one wildfire known as The Jennings Creek wildfire.

The Jennings Creek wildfire, a wildfire that stretched 5,500 miles across the New York/New Jersey border, left residents terrified for their safety. Investigators are still trying to figure out what caused this disruptive fire. Heavy winds were unbearable to those fighting the fire, for it made it difficult to put the fires down.

Because of the dry conditions and lack of rain, we are at risk of wildfires spreading all throughout New Jersey. The smoke entered neighborhoods, and the air quality became unbearable for neighborhoods that lived near the area. Two residents of the nearby community, Kay Van Dunk and Sam McGill, said that the quality of the air was so bad that the air was filled with thick smoke. They were only able to see a few feet away from themselves before it was covered in the overwhelming fiery aroma.

“Our throats were sore after a few hours. We just shut our doors and our windows,” said Sam McGill.

Health conditions were put at a terrible risk due to the fire. Because the smoke in the air was so thick, Ringwood residents were given face masks to be protected from the aftermath of the fire.

Because of the drought New Jersey is in, we are put into dangerous situations such as explosive wildfires that put our health at a high risk. Climate change is at its worst, and for now, we may only hope for the best.