If you were planning to sit around your fire pit this weekend to

Cape May County - If you were planning to sit around your fire pit this weekend to relax, you'll have to do it without flames: New Jersey officials have banned open burning until further notice. The ban on open burning takes effect at 8 a.m. Wednesday, officials said, and was put in place as fire crews continue to battle two large forest fires in the southern portion of the state. A lack of rainfall — New Jersey is as much as 20 percent below its average for precipitation so far in 2021 — and warm, dry forecasts for the coming days have increased the fire threat across the state. The spouter is correct !