CNBNews

William E. Cleary Sr. | CNBNews

GLOUCESTER CITY, NJ Sept. 8, 2024)--Last week, while walking Peyton, we saw smoke coming from the area of the two white buildings near the Wawa in the 1300-unit block of Market Street. As we walked past the Cold Springs School complex, a strong wind blew smoke into the school grounds. At times, the smoke was so thick that we couldn't see; my eyes were tearing, and it was causing me and Peyton to choke. My COPD made the situation worse, intensifying my coughing. As we got closer to Market Street, we found the source: several men burning leaves on a residential property.

We made several calls to 911 to report what we saw and alert the Gloucester City Fire Department, but our first, second, and third calls went unanswered. After a few minutes, we received a call from Lindenwold. In today’s world, many of us receive numerous spam calls, so we often don't answer calls from unknown numbers. As we hurried our walk on Market Street towards Broadway, the phone continued to ring, and eventually, we realized it could be a 911 operator.

Shortly thereafter, a Gloucester City Fire Department SUV passed us going towards the Wawa. It was followed by the fire department’s ladder truck.

In the past, it was common for residents in Gloucester City and other areas of New Jersey to burn leaves every fall. However, the city and the state have banned this practice for several years now. The ban was implemented due to concerns about air pollution and the risk of a stray spark starting a fire in a nearby building or wooded area.