New Jersey
Will the NJ drought cancel your deep-fried turkey tradition? We asked and found out
2-minute read
Thanksgiving turkey deep frying can get dangerous very quickly
Deep frying a turkey is dangerous. Here are tips from fire safety experts to avoid burning down your house.
Michael V. Pettigano, Rebecca King and Paul Wood Jr, NorthJersey.com
Deep-frying a turkey for Thanksgiving dinner can be a tradition for some, a risky adventure for others and a generally bad idea for many.
News of quick-spreading oil fires followed a deep-frying fad that spread from the South and across the country a generation or so ago, as first-time fryers frequently overloaded their outdoor containers, causing hot oil to spill or ignite when it hit a propane burner.
So given the extraordinary drought conditions and elevated fire risk in New Jersey as Thanksgiving approaches, and with firefighters battling wildfires across the state, we felt it reasonable to ask if it was safe — or even legal — to fire up your backyard deep-fryer for the holiday?
Jeffrey Paul, director of the Morris County Office of Emergency Management, said the law says you can do it, but for Pete’s sake, “safety first!”
“The issue of frying turkeys as we get closer to Thanksgiving is not restricted since the cooking is done with propane and not an open burn,” Paul said. “This, however, does not mean that anyone frying a turkey should not be using extreme caution.”
Deep-fried turkey dangers
Even during normal weather conditions, cooking is the leading cause of home fires and injuries in the United States, and the top two days cooking fires start are Thanksgiving and the day before, according to the Federal Emergency Management Agency.
An estimated 1,160 home cooking fires were reported to officials across the country on Thanksgiving Day 2021, a 297% increase over the daily average, according to the nonprofit National Fire Protection Association. That year, emergency personnel responded to about 170,000 home cooking fires nationally, according to data from the Federal Emergency Management Agency.
With an elevated fire risk during a record period of drought, New Jersey firefighters are hoping for a break and a quiet holiday, free of alarms.
“As you are well aware, the New Jersey Forest Fire Service as well as our mutual aid coordinators and fire departments throughout Morris County and throughout New Jersey have been extremely busy fighting wild land fires and the fire risk still remains high,” Paul said. “All warnings, precautions and restrictions remain in place.”
Deep-fried turkey directives
To that end, Paul offers the following tips for a safe and succulent Thanksgiving:
- Turkey fryers should always be used outdoors, a safe distance from buildings and any other flammable materials. “The location where you choose to cook the turkey should be free of anything that has the potential to burn,” Paul said.
- Never use turkey fryers under an overhang, in a garage or on a wooden deck.
- Make sure the fryers are used on a flat surface to reduce the likelihood of accidental tipping.
- Safety first!
2-minute read
NJCU announced ongoing efforts to reduce its academic portfolio
New Jersey City University announced ongoing efforts to reduce its academic portfolio.
Tariq Zehawi, NorthJersey.com
Two New Jersey universities took a step toward merging together on Wednesday. The New Jersey City University (NJCU) board of trustees voted to move forward with Kean University’s proposal to combine the schools, according to a statement from the Kean University President Lamont Repollet.
Kean University brought forward the proposal to turn the two New Jersey colleges into one university under “Kean Jersey City.”
Steps still need to be taken to finalize the merger, as both schools must “begin the process of memorializing the terms and conditions of a potential partnership on or before March 31, 2025,” said the NJCU Board of Trustees.
Kean University said they will work with NJCU to “negotiate a letter of intent” over the next several weeks in order to complete the combination of school.
The proposed idea came from Kean University. The school’s reasoning for the merger is included in a detailed 60-page proposal envisioning “Kean Jersey City.”
“The merger aims to build a stronger, more resilient institution that not only preserves but also significantly amplifies both universities’ core strengths and enduring missions,” said the issued statement from Kean University. “It will focus on creating robust pathways for social mobility, providing students from underserved populations with the tools, resources and opportunities they need to achieve economic success and contribute to their communities.”
The proposal outlines how faculty, athletes, enrollment management and finance will be handled in the merger, but in a very general sense. There was no mention of faculty layoffs in the 60-page proposal.
NJCU, a smaller state school compared to other universities in New Jersey, has seen a decrease in enrollment over the years as their current undergraduate enrollment for 2024 was 3,871, where it was 6,508 in 2017. The school was previously Jersey City State College.
“Just two years ago, New Jersey City University was on the brink of collapse,” Hudson County Executive Craig Guy said in a statement. “But their merger with Kean University ensures the educational institute can continue providing residents in Hudson County and Jersey City the opportunity to attend an affordable four-year college.”
Kean, located in Union, Elizabeth, and Hillside, said it achieved an enrollment of 18,000 students in 2024.
Without substantial rain, the Manasquan Reservoir was just 50% full
Between mid-August and mid-September Monmouth County received less thna 2 inches of rain, leaving the Manasquan Reservoir was just 50% full as of Nov. 14, 2024.
Wednesday’s powerful storm soaked one part New Jersey with nearly 5 inches of rain, but the downpour was not uniform across the state.
The following are inch totals from the last 12 hours, as of 6:30 a.m. Thursday, March 6, 2025:
NJ rainfall totals
Monmouth County
- Sea Girt: 1.69 inches
- Wall: 1.62 inches
- Oceanport: 1.49 inches
- Howell: 1.46 inches
- Neptune: 1.35 inches
- Freehold: 1.32 inches
- Monmouth Beach: 1.29 inches
- Holmdel: 1.16 inches
- Matawan: 0.98 inches
- Cream Ridge: 0.97 inches
Source: weather.gov
Ocean County
- Ship Bottom: 2.08 inches
- Surf City: 2.07 inches
- Harvey Cedars: 1.88 inches
- Point Pleasant: 1.78 inches
- Brick: 1.73 inches
- Seaside Park: 1.72 inches
- Seaside Heights: 1.67 inches
- Toms River: 1.53 inches
- Little Egg Harbor Township: 1.5 inches
- Lakewood: 1.42 inches
- Jackson: 1.42 inches
- Brielle: 1.31 inches
- Miller Air Park: 1.1 inches
Source: weather.gov
New Jersey
- Somerset County: 5.0 inches
- Gloucester County: 2.95 inches
- Bergen County: 2.21 inches
- Atlantic County: 2.15 inches
- Cape May County: 1.82 inches
- Burlington County: 1.62 inches
- Hudson County: 1.15 inches
- Middlesex County: 1.08 inches
- Camden County: 1.03 inches
- Union County: 0.96 inches
- Passaic County: 0.74 inches
- Essex County: 0.7 inches
- Morris County: 0.65 inches
Source: weather.gov
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