All you summer lovers are no doubt basking in this late October sun I know I am.

And while it's made for some great fall weekend weather, there are some downsides to it.

The higher heat and low humidity also make the perfect combo for forest fires.

In fact, there's a blaze burning in Morris County right now that the state's fire service is trying to get control over before these dry, hot conditions spark anything further.

Ted Goldberg has more on what they're seeing.

The weather lately has been perfect to take in.

Fall foliage, unseasonably warm, dry, and a light breeze.

Unfortunately, those are also perfect conditions for a wildfire to spread quickly once the leaves begin to fall off the trees.

Then the sun can begin to hit to the ground in the forest and dry out the fuels.

And the grasses, for instance, are going dormant and drying out.

That's tinder.

Leaves are starting to fall off the trees.

That's tinder.

And you just need a spark to get something going.

A forest fire started in Morris County over the weekend has reached 77 acres.

The state's forest fire service has 70% of it contained, and nobody has been evacuated.

Section Fire Warden Todd Cicero says the recent drought is a major obstacle in keeping flames from growing.

It's a major impact right now.

We're getting a lot more ground fire than we normally do because it's been so dry.

So right now we have, a full ban on any burning whatsoever, whether it's agricultural or just regular campfires.

So nobody should be having any open flame whatsoever.

State data goes back to 1895, and this past September was the third driest on record.

This October is on pace to be the driest.

The weather is definitely going to be a factor.

It's only getting warmer, and there's a possibility of some, wind coming in over the next couple of days that that, that might change things a little bit.

But that's why we're working really hard right now to make sure things, things stay the same.

That might be hard to believe, considering the recent hurricanes in the South.

State climatologist Dave Robinson says those torrential rains couldn't get past what's called a ridge of high pressure.

We've just had high pressure parked over this area for weeks.

And with that, it is fought off any storm systems.

Even the storms that brought all the rain to the Carolinas from from.

Jolene Lee Robertson is a meteorologist with the National Weather Service at Mount Holly.

He says the drought, combined with low humidity, has cooked up conditions for more wildfires to start and spread.

When we have conditions, that are extremely dry and extremely windy, that will lead to the potential for wildfires to spread rapidly behind the cold fronts.

We get a very strong northwest wind, and that does two things.

It, it will create the very strong winds, but also behind the cold fronts, the air gets really dry.

The drought has dried up lawns and seen reservoirs drop down to low levels.

The Manasquan Reservoir is at record lows, according to the new Jersey Water Supply Authority.

Normally at this time of the year, our reservoirs and our groundwater levels bottom out.

After all that use during the summer and the reservoirs begin to refill, hopefully being full by next spring.

Right now, the reservoir levels are on a downward spiral and starting to fall below normal.

And the concern is that will continue into the winter season and put a threat on filling our reservoirs by next spring.

New Jersey has issued a drought watch, which asks people to use less water but doesn't force people to.

That could happen if conditions don't get better over the next few months.

And the state would issue a drought warning or emergency.

The Drought watch is likely to extend for at least another couple of weeks.

Forecasts don't show much of any precipitation statewide for another ten days or so.

In Rockaway, I'm Ted Goldberg, NJ Spotlight News.