It started as a peaceful spring day in East Brunswick. Birds were chirping, windows were open, allergies were flaring—and then came The Shift.
According to R.J.B., the town’s unofficial weather anchor, things escalated quickly:
“One second fresh air is blowing through my front window… next second I’m smelling strong gusts of smoke!”
She wasn’t alone. Within minutes, the Facebook sirens began to wail louder than the one on Dunhams Corner. The group chat lit up like the Pine Barrens.
A.K., always quick with the sensory commentary, added:
“I can’t smell anything because of allergies, but I hear tomorrow is going to be even worse with the wind coming from the South.”
Bro, thank your sinuses—they just saved you from a panic spiral.
H.L.A. dropped her own experience with the elegance of a rom-com moment:
“My daughter just opened the front door to go running and she goes, ‘Wow do you smell the smoke?’ and I just sneezed like six times in a row so I smelled nothing 😂”
Meanwhile, M.B. was living in a completely different movie:
“Wow I was confused taught they open new resturant with grill.”
God bless the folks who think wildfires are just pop-up BBQs. East Brunswick deserves you.
J.L.G. did what any rational EB resident would do:
“Just walked outside and it’s really starting to ramp up here… shutting the windows and turning the AC on.”
That’s how we deal with emergencies here—panic, followed by climate control.
Then there was D.F., who came in hot with science like it was going to help:
“According to airnow.gov, we’re just getting a little plume… air quality is ‘moderate’.”
She even included maps, charts, and sensor data. R.J.B.’s response?
“TY.”
Translation: “Thanks, nerd.”
But perhaps the deepest moment came from G.B., the Socrates of Smokey Skies:
“All the smoke from Canadian wildfires oranged out the sky last year, and somehow this is shocking? 🤷♂️🤣”
Every town needs that one guy whose sole purpose is to roast everyone mid-emergency. G.B. delivered.
And while most folks were worried about their lungs, C.T. took a more romantic angle:
“Love the smell. Shame of what’s causing it.”
Then L.C. chimed in like a sommelier of destruction:
“Bit plasticy last night. Still kinda yummy smelling.”
Y’all are one scented candle away from marketing this as “Wildfire: Limited Edition.”
The real MVP, though, was V.S., who turned Facebook into a public safety drill:
“If you smell smoke, don’t assume it’s the wildfires. Look around.”
In other words, maybe check if your neighbor’s patio isn’t actually on fire before blaming Lacey Township.
And so, as R.J.B. shut her skylights and issued her 17th air quality update, one thing became clear:
East Brunswick doesn’t just react to smoke—we narrate it, speculate on it, rate the aroma, and then turn it into a full-blown community event.
Stay safe out there. Close your windows. Check on your neighbors. And maybe check Facebook a little less.
Because next time, it might not be smoke. It might just be another thread about someone asking where to get a good bagel.
🌀 Eyes on EB: Bringing you weather updates from the real experts—your neighbors.
