Smoky conditions from Jackson wildfire impacting the community

Some youth sporting events were canceled due to the smoke from the fire.

Jim Murdoch

Nov 8, 2024, 5:32 PM

Updated 47 days ago

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Crews continue to gain the upper hand in fighting a wildfire in Jackson Township – a fire that has consumed 350 acres of land in three days.
Smoke from the fire continues to impact the region, especially during the overnight and early morning hours.
"I was playing football with my friends outside and it was really smoky and we had to cancel because it was really bad. We all had a bad headache," said Charles Catanzaro.
The 11-year-old had his football practice canceled for good reason. Smoke from the fire spread all the way to the beach communities again overnight.
At Ralph's One Stop Shop Deli, it was business as usual after a brief scare during the early stages of the fire on Wednesday.
"The morning smoke was bad. Last night was pretty bad, but now it's all right. You can't do anything about it, you have to live with it," said Ralph Mugloo, owner of the One Stop Shop Deli on South Stump Tavern Road.
The New Jersey Forest Fire Service is warning that smoky conditions overnight and early morning hours will persist across the state where wildfires continue to burn until the region receives significant rainfall.
The messaging from the Ocean County Health Department remains the same - if you are susceptible to breathing issues and if you smell smoke stay inside and keep the windows closed until it passes.