Firefighters are making progress battling the Jennings Creek wildfire on the New Jersey New York border.

As of this afternoon, the massive 2300 acre blaze was 50% contained, according to New Jersey's Forest Fire Service.

The fire is raging in the Sterling Forest State Park that's located in the Ramapo Mountains, impacting Passaic County and Orange County.

On the New York side, where another roughly 2500 acres are scorched.

Authorities say conditions on that part of the fire line are especially challenging because of hills and rough terrain.

No structures, though, are threatened on the New Jersey side, but fire rangers warned residents in West Milford smoke could be worse today and will linger for the next few weeks.

That's until we get a significant amount of rain or snowfall across New Jersey.

Nearly 1300 wildfires have burned so far this year, about half, 561 just since October 1st.

New Jersey Forest Fire Service chief Bill Donnelly says it's taking a toll on his crews.

We've had eight major fires in the last six weeks, eight weeks, which takes its toll on our folks.

They're probably not getting the rest they need, but hopefully they're going to hang in there.

It's definitely taken a toll on them.

But I think I think we'll make it through it.

One of the biggest factors firefighters are up against record low rainfall that's created the driest conditions in 120 years.

Moving state leaders this week to declare an official drought warning in New Jersey.

It's a rare step that gives the state more control over its water supply.

For the latest on the situation, I'm joined by Shawn LaTourette, commissioner for the Department of Environmental Protection.

Commissioner, good to see you.

Obviously, a tough time for the state in terms of this drought.

What does the warning declaration do?

What type of leverage does that give you and other leaders in the state?

So a drought warning enables the DEP to access non-emergency powers to work with water supply providers like your local water company to ensure access to existing sources of supply by loosening some of the ordinary, appropriate and necessary conditions that apply to water service providers.

So, for example, enabling a water system to take more water from a nearby stream than would typically be permitted.

So as of right now, any water restrictions, water bans, those are all voluntary on the part of the public.

Why not just ask the governor for a full out drought emergency given what it appears we're dealing with?

So a drought emergency would be the next step in the hierarchy of water supply management.

We hope to not get there and we've not been in a drought emergency in the state of New Jersey since 2002.

A drought emergency carries a phasing in of mandatory enforced water restrictions at the household level.

We can avoid having to get to that point by urging the residents of New Jersey to conserve water as much as they possibly can.

Because we've been in a period where water demand has been up, you know, recently as much as two weeks ago.

We've seen temperatures in November reaching near 80 degrees.

That's increased water demand.

We need to bring that demand down as we face what is predicted to be a pretty dry winter.

And if we do that all together, we can avoid having to adhere to draconian restrictions about our personal use of water if we all work together to conserve.

What is this shared resource?

How much rainfall or snow, I guess at this point would we need to see in order to bring our levels back up to average?

I think we need about two months of normal wetness and precipitation to make up for the now six month long dry conditions.

You know, we just came through the longest meteorological drought in nearly 120 years.

And so we've got a lot to make up for.

And part of that can be made up for by all of us working together to conserve our water resources.

So give us some practical tips, ways that people should be carrying this out in their homes or, you know, in their businesses.

Things we've learned as children, Brianna, in order to conserve water, turning off the faucets while we're brushing our teeth or shaving, taking shorter showers, let's stop watering our lawns.

We've been doing that because this long extended summer weather has encouraged us to do so.

But now is the time to cease the outdoor watering, let our lawns go into their typical dormant condition for this time of year.

And together we can bring down that use of that use and demand for water on the household level, on the business level, and of course, on the governmental level.

And if we can't do that, we might find ourselves in the coming spring in a position where we are forced to do it.

Let's not get there.

Let's work together to conserve our water resources.

State DEP Commissioner Shawn LaTourette, thanks so much for your time.

Thank you so very much.