If the recent wildfires have taught me anything, it’s that people are stupid everywhere.

No, seriously. Nearly a month ago, on Oct. 21, the New Jersey Forest Fire Service implemented statewide stage 3 restrictions. As per the Forest Fire Service, all fires in wooded areas are prohibited unless it’s contained in an elevated stove, and charcoal fires are banned.

If the time I walked to a Halloween party choking on the stench and fumes of a massive barbecue is not proof enough that New Jersey citizens are not paying attention to this fire ban, then the seven wildfires burning throughout the state certainly are.

Of course, New Jersey natives should be fairly aware of the situation by now. It has rained once this past month and October was even worse, with it being the driest October since 1895. Compared to a usual NJ autumn, conditions have not been optimal. Fall leaves dry and turn to tinder, and bare branches allow the sun to peek through and dry everything out even more.

Now, what does one do when faced with severe drought and very high fire danger? Obviously fire your shotgun in a forest of dry wood, such as the 37-year-old man in Ocean County who did just that and set the whole area ablaze!

That is a joke, but unfortunately, I think many residents of this beautiful state do not realize the serious nature of both drought and wildfire, and the response to this fire ban has been quite lackluster.

Online, I see people complaining that they can’t grill their Thanksgiving turkey anymore, or even worse, fry it. Now, forgive me for not realizing that people were serious about this business of grilling their Thanksgiving turkeys (let alone frying them), but why is this the priority?

Parts of the state are burning and the reaction is not shock, or horror, but annoyance. This is not anything new, seeing as in my home state of Colorado it’s not uncommon every couple of years to have fireworks banned on the 4th of July, and rotating weeks or months of fire bans based on drought, and people ignore these bans knowing the land we’re settled on is glorified tinder.

The west is dry. Desert dry.

But, the rubber does meet the road and there is a marked difference in behavior because there is a communal memory of fires that take entire forests, neighborhoods, and lives.

Driving through mountain forests, you can see the regions where fire has raged. You can be in a dense wood and then suddenly see a stark relief, as if you’ve flipped from the front of Dr. Seuss’s “The Lorax” to the back when all the Truffula trees are just stumps.

So, the 4th of July is quieter, and marshmallows are roasted over a propane grill and not a raging fire. The holidays are marked by a distinct lack of frying our turkeys, although that’s a common sense rule we follow regardless of drought. The oven exists for a reason.

But, I do not blame the state of New Jersey for not knowing how to react to the state being on fire. It’s a rare occurrence. Now is a good time to figure it out, however, especially as current climate models show that the longest periods of drought may be up to 10 days longer than they are now.

First, don’t panic. My article is a condemnation of apathy, not a lack of zealous passion, which can be equally unproductive. Instead, take in the facts. We’re currently in severe drought and very high fire danger.

Second, follow all required rules to the letter. I should hope that as college students we’re not setting fires on campus, but what happens off-campus can be a different, more chaotic story. 

Don’t let yourself become an arson case for the sake of a “memorable” bonfire, or think you’re the exception to the rule because you want to have a fun time camping and you learned to build a fire in Boy Scouts. Wind can carry embers regardless of whatever attempts you make to contain a fire.

Third, follow published suggestions as best you can as well. This helps to keep them from becoming requirements in the future and prevents further disaster.

For example, the Governor of New Jersey Phil Murphy, and the Commissioner of the Department of Environmental Protection Shawn M. Latourette released a statement on current conditions and listed some ways you can help conserve water.

Most of these steps are catered to homeowners, such as winterizing sprinklers, fixing leaky faucets, and going to commercial car washes. 

If you’re living on campus, some more accessible steps to take could be turning off the faucet while brushing your teeth or washing dishes, taking shorter showers, and most importantly: boiling less water to cook pasta, because I know we’re all living on ramen.

I trust that this drought will eventually come to an end and we can expect New Jersey to go back to its humid, frequently rainy self. But in the meantime, don’t let yourself become complacent or even annoyed with rules and restrictions that help keep the state from becoming a tinderbox of its own.

To stay up to date with fire restrictions, head to the New Jersey Fire Service website. To stay up to date with drought information, head to the Department of Environmental Protection website.

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