BRICK, N.J. (AP) — New Jersey’s governor issued a drought warning Wednesday and officials said they blamed a teenager for starting one of the many wildfires that have plagued the state in recent weeks.

The actions come as conditions are the driest in almost 120 years, as numerous forest fires continue to rage in places that have not seen significant rainfall since August.

In his statement, Governor Phil Murphy asked people to take voluntary cost-saving steps such as taking shorter showers, turning off the faucet when brushing teeth and waiting until the dishwasher is full to run it.

However, mandatory water use restrictions that would fall under the drought emergency, the highest warning the government can give, were not implemented.

New Jersey is not yet at the point where communities are in danger of running out of water for drinking or firefighting. The state also wants to prevent things from coming to that point.

“Please take this seriously,” Murphy said. “We have a very dry winter ahead of us”

Late Wednesday, police in the Philadelphia suburb of Evesham Township said they had charged a teenager with intentionally setting a fire that burned less than a tenth of a square mile on Oct. 30. The teenager, whose age was not disclosed, was arrested on November 7 and taken to a juvenile detention center, charged with aggravated arson and risk of causing or endangering extensive injury or damage.

This fire was separate from another fire that broke out in Evesham on the day of his arrest. The second fire consumed more than half a square mile for several days, and authorities are investigating whether the two fires are related.

Dry conditions from coast to coast were contributing to the spread of wildfires.

California has made good progress against a massive wildfire that broke out a week ago in Ventura County, northwest of Los Angeles, and quickly erupted due to drought. Santa Ana winds. mountain fever It was 60% under control on Wednesday.

The 32-square-mile (83-square-kilometer) fire forced thousands of residents to flee and destroyed more than 215 structures, mostly homes, and damaged at least 210.

Things were tougher on the East Coast, where firefighting efforts along the New Jersey-New York border stalled overnight. 2,283 acres (3.6 square miles) burned in New Jersey’s Passaic County and 2,100 acres (3.3 square miles) in New York’s Orange County.

Steep mountainous terrain and high winds, as well as few road access points, made fighting the fire from the ground difficult, said Greg McLaughlin, director of the New Jersey Forest Fire Service. A water-dropping helicopter was also being used, but the usual array of bulldozers and plows were not effective on this particular fire.

that flame claimed his life Photo of a New York state park employee helping firefighters over the weekend.

Dry conditions in New Jersey and New York are a growing concern not only for firefighting efforts but also for the availability of drinking water.

Two major reservoirs in New Jersey were at 51 percent and 45 percent capacity Wednesday, enough to keep the taps flowing, but low enough to raise concern about what might happen if there are weeks or months of less rainfall. A river with an additional source of drinking water had 14% of normal.

September and October were the driest two-month period ever recorded in New Jersey. Since August, the state has received 2 inches (5 cm) of rain when it should have received one foot (0.3 meters).

Officials said no significant rainfall is expected in the foreseeable future.

The ground was also dry as a bone, McLaughlin added. This makes wildfires even more dangerous because they can burn downward through dry soil and root systems and last for months.

On the soil dryness scale, where the highest possible score is 800, New Jersey is at 748, meaning the soil is dry almost 8 inches (20 centimeters) below the surface. This level has never been reached before, McLaughlin said.

A wildfire started by someone using illegal fireworks in New Jersey’s Wharton State Forest on July 4th has long been thought to be under control. But McLaughlin said it has been smoldering underground for four months and could reignite above ground.

Conditions are also dry in New York drought watch issued last week. Mayor Eric Adams urged residents to take shorter showers, fix dripping faucets and otherwise conserve water.

Only 0.01 inches (0.02 centimeters) of rain fell in the city’s Central Park last month; October here normally brings about 11.2 centimeters of precipitation. New York says this was the driest October in more than 150 years.

Massachusetts declared a drought on Tuesday after more than a month of reduced precipitation.

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Associated Press writers Christopher Weber in Los Angeles and Kathy McCormack in Concord, New Hampshire, contributed to this report.

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