New Jersey is in peak wildfire season, and areas along the coast are especially at high risk of fires as the weather remains dry and mild this week. 

The combination of dry conditions, low humidity and strong gusty winds creates favorable conditions for the rapid spread of fires. The National Weather Service in Mount Holly issued a red flag warning Tuesday for parts of New Jersey for gusty winds and low relative humidity. Another warning was issued on Wednesday and is in effect from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m.

Affected areas include: Sussex, Warren, Morris, Hunterdon, Somerset, Middlesex, Western Monmouth, Eastern Monmouth, Mercer, Salem, Gloucester, Camden, Northwestern Burlington, Ocean, Cumberland, Atlantic, Cape May, Atlantic Coastal Cape May, Coastal Atlantic, Coastal Ocean and Southeastern Burlington.

The state issued updates Tuesday on three large forest fires that burned thousands of acres last week - two fires in Ocean County and one fire in Passaic County. More than 500 wildfires have burned at least 7200 acres this year statewide, according to the Department of Environmental Protection and New Jersey Forest Fire Service.

Recent major fires include a wildfire in Little Egg Harbor, a fire at a Jersey City recycling plant, and several house fires. Last week, northern New Jersey saw its largest wildfire in the last decade when a fire in West Milford burned over 900 acres. 

  On Tuesday, another wildfire erupted off Route 542 and River Road in Washington Township, Burlington County.  

Fire officials say Jimmy's Water Hole fire in Manchester burned 3,859 acres, and 170 homes in Lakehurst and Manchester were evacuated. The West Milford fire that burned 972 acres had embers that traveled a half-mile across Echo Lake and created new fires, according to officials. The Bass River log swamp fire burned 1,607 acres across southern Ocean county. A prescribed burn in March helped contain the fire and the Route 539 corridor burns, fire officials say.

Officials have previously sent out warnings for residents to be careful when discarding cigarettes or any other items that produce flames.

For more information about wildfire danger and current statewide fire danger levels, click here.