Charcoal Grilling Ban in New Jersey


 
John_NJ

John_NJ

TVWBB Wizard
My wife told me there is a ban on charcoal grilling statewide in New Jersey due to extremely dry conditions.

The weather has been phenomenally good for weeks- sunny and warm and no rain.

No rain in the forecast so I would guess the ban will be in effect for some time.

Our weekend grilling plans are now canceled.

www.app.com

New Jersey implements Stage 3 fire safety restrictions statewide

The Department of Enviromental Protection issues a mandatory Stage 3 fire restrictions that includes Monmouth and Ocean County.
www.app.com

The Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) has issued a mandatory Stage 3 fire restriction for all of New Jersey.

Officials are urging the public to adhere to the major restrictions as extremely dry conditions are expected to persist statewide.

The mandatory statewide Stage 3 fire restrictions, bans all outdoor open fires that use wood or charcoal and the use of kerosene or gas torches of any kind. Only fires with an elevated stove that uses propane, natural gas or electricity is allowed, according to the news release from Department of Environmental Protection.
 
John_NJ said:
My wife told me there is a ban on charcoal grilling statewide in New Jersey due to extremely dry conditions.

The weather has been phenomenally good for weeks- sunny and warm and no rain.

No rain in the forecast so I would guess the ban will be in effect for some time.

Our weekend grilling plans are now canceled.

www.app.com

New Jersey implements Stage 3 fire safety restrictions statewide

The Department of Enviromental Protection issues a mandatory Stage 3 fire restrictions that includes Monmouth and Ocean County.
www.app.com

The Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) has issued a mandatory Stage 3 fire restriction for all of New Jersey.

Officials are urging the public to adhere to the major restrictions as extremely dry conditions are expected to persist statewide.

The mandatory statewide Stage 3 fire restrictions, bans all outdoor open fires that use wood or charcoal and the use of kerosene or gas torches of any kind. Only fires with an elevated stove that uses propane, natural gas or electricity is allowed, according to the news release from Department of Environmental Protection.
Click to expand...
i'd follow that warning. the last thing you want to do is make the 5 O'clock news as "that guy."
 
I'm not aware of a ban here in MN, but conditions are very dry. Farmers are shelling corn and soybeans, and I'm hoping that nobody catches fire from a hot bearing.
 
I’m just across the river in PA and obviously our weather has been identical. Some counties have a “no burn” in effect but I haven’t read about any near me. (Bucks County) I will, however, be erring on the side of caution and canceling our weekly Friday night neighborhood bonfire that we host. I will be using the WSK this weekend!

IMG_9759.jpeg
IMG_9757.jpeg
 
Interesting to hear about dry conditions on the east coast. I'm in St Louis MO and it's been VERY dry here. Very little rain since July/August. I love landscaping and lawncare almost as much as I like grilling and bbq so this this lack of rain is driving me nuts. I'm enjoying the sunshine and lack of humidity but really hoping for some rain soon.
 
John K BBQ said:
Interesting to hear about dry conditions on the east coast. I'm in St Louis MO and it's been VERY dry here. Very little rain since July/August. I love landscaping and lawncare almost as much as I like grilling and bbq so this this lack of rain is driving me nuts. I'm enjoying the sunshine and lack of humidity but really hoping for some rain soon.
Click to expand...
It's been extremely dry here as well. I can sort of judge how much rain we get by how often I have to cut the grass. I have only cut it once in the last two months and I'm pretty sure I now have some patches of grass that won't come back if it ever rains again.
 
I was in Chicago yesterday (Tinley Park and up to Itasca).... pretty dry up there for sure. There was a splash of rain yesterday in Tinley Park but probably < 0.25". I've been irrigating my lawn in St Louis to keep my grass green, but that's about all irrigation does - maintains color. Despite the irrigation, I'm only mowing about every other week. I've applied some fertilizer this fall but with this lack of rain I'm not sure how much good it's doing. Forecast says 50% chance of rain next Thursday. I've got my fingers and toes crossed!
 
Ban is on open fires.

An open fire is a fire that burns material outdoors or in a container without a chimney or stack. This includes campfires, fire pits, and bonfires.

Sounds like were okay to use our grill/smokers.
 
Brett-EDH said:
i'd follow that warning. the last thing you want to do is make the 5 O'clock news as "that guy."
Click to expand...
Seriously.

The first responders in our area are busy enough already. I certainly wouldn’t want to be “that guy”. I’ll let my wife do the cooking until we get some rain.
Bob Erdman said:
Sounds like we’re okay to use our grill/smokers.
Click to expand...
You are free to do as you see fit, but you might want to check the wording of the ban. I think propane, natural gas and electric are allowed, wood and coal aren’t.
 
timothy said:
Relief should be coming your way. Heavy storms last night moving east.
Click to expand...
Earlier this week my wife and I were talking about how great the weather has been recently.

Every day sunny and warm.

I was reading about how we are setting records here for consecutive days without rain.

But I was surprised by the ban on outdoor fires. I can’t remember that happening in the past but it probably did- my outdoor cooking was propane only for some 30 so I might have missed it.

Now that I have added charcoal cooking to our repertoire my wife took notice when she saw the ban.

The weather app I use is notoriously inaccurate, but here is the eight day forecast for our area:

IMG_8214.jpeg
 
John_NJ said:
Seriously.

The first responders in our area are busy enough already. I certainly wouldn’t want to be “that guy”. I’ll let my wife do the cooking until we get some rain.

You are free to do as you see fit, but you might want to check the wording of the ban. I think propane, natural gas and electric are allowed, wood and coal aren’t.
Click to expand...
I would be very careful about using my charcoal grill, but my smoker wouldn't be an issue (big gravity fed charcoal burner.)
 
We are very dry in New England.

On the plus side - Clear blue skies and the best foliage colors in years. Good sky watching at night.

On the negative side low reservoirs and brush fires. All things being relative, nothing like the dry issues the people in the West experience
 
Just read this. I know it’s nothing compared to what has happened in the western US and Canada, but I believe it’s more unusual here in New Jersey.


gothamist.com

Essex County, NJ wildfire could reach 190 acres, with officials desperate for rain

Livingston officials say they've never experienced a wildfire like this, and a weeks-like dry spell is ramping up fire risk statewide.
gothamist.com gothamist.com



“I would say the conditions we're currently experiencing are unprecedented,” Weber said. “This is a dry spell record for New Jersey. We're going into a drought. You know, it's fall. Typically, when the leaves are on the ground is when we're at higher risk for wildfires … so I would say probably this is the worst-case scenario we've seen in potentially a lifetime, or all of our time.”
 
I lived in NJ for 40 years until I moved just across the river into PA 25 years ago, I’ve never seen it this dry. Sitting next to our propane fire pit as I type this. No wood burning for a while, as of today, there’s a 30 day ban here in Bucks.

IMG_9775.jpeg
 
Last edited:
You must log in or register to reply here.

 

Back
Top