New Jersey has declared a drought warning as dry conditions continue, asking residents to conserve water voluntarily.

The fire in Jackson, in the central portion of the New Jersey Pine Barrens, had grown to less than half a square mile (1.2 square kilometers) and was 40% contained as of mid-morning Thursday, said Deale Carey, incident commander for the fire service.

About an hour after it concluded, the department announced a press briefing for Wednesday “to discuss the state entering Drought Warning status as prolonged dry periods continue statewide.” The New Jersey Forest Fire Service says conditions in the state are the driest they have been in nearly 120 years.

New Jersey’s governor has issued a drought warning and said water restrictions could come if conditions worsen. The dry spell is plaguing much of the Northeast.

New Jersey is now considering declaring a drought warning as dry conditions continue throughout the Garden State.In the driving wind and after weeks of dry weather, Jeff Tober harvested red cabbage Tuesday afternoon much smaller in size than years past.

Gov. Phil Murphy, along with the state's DEP, elevated October's drought watch to a warning on Wednesday while giving an update on statewide wildfires.