1. Scheduled burns are slated to take place in several areas of the county during the coming week, including three sites off Ridge Road in northern Brick Township near the Manasquan River, and in Berkeley Township north of Ocean County Airport. Moderate: 51 to 100. Air quality is acceptable. Around New Jersey's Pinelands, prescribed forest burns play an integral role in protecting homes and human lives. In preparation, they're carrying out prescribed burns, where they intentionally set controlled fires to various wooded areas. New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection, Forest Fire Service Reminds Residents to be Careful with Fire as New Jersey Enters Peak Wildfire Season (23/P023), New Jersey Receives $995,000 Federal Grant for Wildfire Mitigation Efforts in Area of Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst (23/P014), New Jersey Forest Fire Service Plans Prescribed Burning Across Thousands of Acres in State Forests (23/P012), DEP Launches Proactive Forest Fire Risk Reduction Program Ahead of Wildfire Season (22/P004), Rudy Wendelin Gallery of Smokey Bear Paintings in New Jersey. Aedy Miller covers education and the economy for the Burlington County Times, Courier-Post, and The Daily Journal. Burning it using small fires under controlled, closely watched conditions is like an insurance policy against future fires becoming worse than they otherwise would be. Contact Asbury Park Press reporter Erik Larsen at elarsen@gannettnj.com. 3. To date in 2023, the Forest Fire Service has responded to 903 wildfires which have burned 16,448.25 acres across New Jersey. New Jersey's Department of Environmental . The State of NJ site may contain optional links, information, services and/or content from other websites operated by third parties that are provided as a convenience, such as Google Translate. If you're in doubt about the source of smoke or if a fire is part of a controlled burning operation, call 911 or 1-877-WARN-DEP (877-927-6337). June 28, 2023 / 11:33 PM / CBS Philadelphia. NEWS Smoky skies in NJ on Tuesday as Forest Fire Service conducts prescribed burns Aedy Miller Burlington County Times 0:00 1:54 Smelling smoke and seeing ash fall from the sky? NJ Wildfire Season: Getting longer thanks to climate change. Plumsted Township Colliers Mills Wildlife Management Area, A controlled burn in Ocean County, N.J. produces a plume of smoke over Barnegat Bay, Feb. 28, 2022. NJ Forest Fire Service observer Nick Valerio keeps watch in Culvers Fire Tower. The burns will be weather dependent. Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting. Additional forest management projects aimed to limit the spread of wildfires are ongoing at other state-owned property including Double Trouble State Park. Prescribed burning is a crucial tool in our efforts to maintain the ecological health and fire resiliency of New Jersey's landscapes, said John Cecil, Assistant Commissioner for State Parks, Forests & Historic Sites. The New Jersey State Forest Fire Service is setting prescribed burns around the region to help reduce forest undergrowth that could fuel future wildfires, authorities said. Earlier: Lakewood forest fire: Homes damaged in Brick, Parkway shut down. Residents cansee a map of upcoming burns on the DEP's website. For example, prescribed burning can be an effective tool in managing the spread of nonnative invasive species or to manage grasslands for threatened or endangered bird species. Controlled Burn Underway In Barnegat Tuesday - Barnegat-Manahawkin, NJ - If you are smelling smoke, it may be from New Jersey Forest Fire Service efforts to control wildfires. The following is a list of areas where the NJFFS is scheduled to conduct the burns. (Shutterstock) LACEY, NJ Greenwood Forest Wildlife Management Area in Lacey will undergo prescribed burns today, March 29, the New Jersey Forest Fire Service announced. State Police used a helicopter to hoist two Clifton firefighters to safety on Wednesday afternoon after their fire rescue boat became stuck in the Passaic River while attempting to aid workers in . This year the NJFFS anticipates conducting prescribed burns on at least 30,000 acres . Additional controlled burns are expected in the area of Allaire State Park in Monmouth County. By carefully managing fire in a controlled manner, we can reduce the risk of devastating wildfires and conserve the state's rich natural heritage for future generations.. This year, the Forest Fire Service intends to treat 25,000 acres of forests, grasslands and marsh with prescribed fire. By actively eliminating sources of fuel that exacerbate forest fire risks through a controlled and prescribed burning program, the Forest Fire Service reduces risk to New Jersey residents, visitors and the environment.. VIDEO: The New Jersey Forest Fire Service is setting a 600-acre controlled burn in Burlington County to get thick brush out of the way as the fire danger increases. State officials say the burns are conducted each year ahead of forest fire season - generally considered the time period in March and May when breezy conditions . The NJFFS said that the schedule is weather-dependent and subject to change on its Facebook page. A similar project along Washington Turnpike in Wharton State Forest helped limit the spread of the Mullica River Wildfire last year, New Jerseys largest wildfire in 15 years. 2023 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. To request removal of your name from an arrest report, submit these required items to arrestreports@patch.com. "About 50% of our homes (in New Jersey) are built within the wildland-urban interface," LaTourette said recently during a news conference where he said he expected an "active" fire season in . Page 3 The Washington Turnpike Fuel Break project as seen from a helicopter during the Mullica River Wildfire, June 2022. Air quality is satisfactory and pollutants pose no risk. While most prescribed burns take place in the spring, a prescribed burn may be implemented in the summer or fall depending on the management objective for a particular area. Prescribed burning reduces the fuel available to support large, high-intensity wildfires that can cause significant carbon losses. Have a news tip? The state plans to burn 25,000 acres through April. Through the prescribed burns, firefighters spend weeks each year helping to protect the thousands of residents who lives miles to the east of this forest. On average of 1,500 wildfires damage or destroy 7,000 acres of New Jersey's forests each year. The Ocean County Sheriff's Office said. 2023 www.burlingtoncountytimes.com. What are prescribed burns? Residents can view where upcoming prescribed burns will be taking place in their communities over a five-day period on a Prescribed Fire Notifications map at njwildfire.org. New Jersey Fight Fire With Fire: Burns Lessen Fire Risk in NJ Forests Removing potential fuel from the forest floor deprives future fires of material that would make them more serious. Follow the NJ Forest Fire Service on Facebook! A plume of smoke from prescribed burns taking place in the pine barrens in multiple counties across South Jersey rose from Berkeley Township Monday afternoon, eliciting some worries from local residents. Watch how we set prescribed fires in Montana. Prescribed burning is a critical part of the states carbon defense strategy because it allows experts to direct the intensity, timing and interval of fire across the landscape. New Jerseyans are reminded that peak wildfire season often directly follows prescribed burn season. 0:58. LATEST: Air quality alerts due to Canadian wildfire smoke continue Thursday in PA, NJ, DE. Use an air quality monitor in your home. The importance of prescribed burning in New Jerseys forests cannot be overstated, said Commissioner LaTourette. New Jersey conducting controlled burns across state. Several controlled burns in wooded areas of Ocean County could be seen for miles on Monday and Tuesday following a number of the burns that occurred over the weekend. In 2022, the Forest Fire Service completed prescribed burns on 11,925 acres of state-owned lands, 3,363 acres of other government-owned land and 1,694 acres of privately owned property, for a total of 16,982 acres. Controlled burning is conducted . Prescribed burn, or controlled burning, is a . "Controlled burns are important for maintaining healthy and beautiful meadows!" Don't. DEP Photos: If a drone is detected flying over or near a wildfire, all Forest Fire Service air support will be grounded - hampering suppression and observation efforts. A controlled burn in Ocean County, N.J. produces a plume of smoke over Barnegat Bay, Feb. 28, 2022. Most burning takes place throughout the New Jersey Pinelands, a fire-adapted ecosystem which needs fire to thrive. wrote Duke Farms. The large prescribed burn took place on county-owned land in Lacey Township on Monday, but was conducted by the state Forest Fire Service. The Mullica River Wildfire which burned 11,129.5 acres in the Wharton State Forest in June of 2022 was a reminder to New Jerseyans that the potential for large-scale wildfires exists in the Garden State, said Greg McLaughlin, Administrator and Chief of the Forest Fire Service. 0:41 BERKELEY - Ocean County is not under attack, but between the smoke and the ground shaking this weekend it may feel like it. Though largely weather dependent, the prescribed burns will continue through the rest of the week, though no more are expected to occur locally over the next five days. The New Jersey State Forest Fire Service plans to conduct. NJ Forest Fire Service observer Nick Valerio works eight-hour shifts in the 8ft by 8ft Culvers Fire Tower 45 ft. in the air during the fall and spring. The prescribed burns, also known as controlled burns, will continue through the. Once complete, a 25-foot firebreak will exist on either side of Allen and Oswego roads, 1,305 acres of thinning will remove highly flammable materials known as ladder fuels throughout the area and 13 miles of roadway will be improved, allowing safe and efficient access for emergency vehicles. They are a multimedia journalist from Central Jersey and a recent graduate of the George Washington University. Crews are setting controlled burns, clearing seasonally dry and dead underbrush. Fire officials across New Jersey are getting ready for what they believe could be an active wildfire season. In unrelated activity elsewhere, military personnel at Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst will be conducting training exercises that may produce a high noise event in the area with loud explosions linked to the Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst, according to a similar public alert from the Brick Township Police Department late Friday night. Don't. So far this year, the state has seen close to 90 fires;in 2021, New Jersey saw one of the largest wildfires in years burn100 acres, damage 29 homes and shut down parts of the Garden State Parkway for hours. The CBS New York team is a group of experienced journalists who bring you the content on CBSNewYork.com. For example, on Saturday, prescribed burns were planned in the woods within populatedareas such as Brick and Wall. New Jersey environmental officials are fighting fire with fire, using so-called "controlled burns" to reduce the risk of future wildfires by burning pine needles, dead leaves and other. Peapack And Gladstone Police Department also announced that on Tuesday, Feb. 7, the New Jersey Forest Fire Service will be conducting a controlled burn at Natirar Park. Duke Farms, at 1112 Dukes Parkway W in Hillsborough, is closed Monday as the NJ State Forest Fire Service will be conducting a controlled burn to control woody and invasive species, returning . You can expect the conditions to last from the morning to the evening hours., Related:Fighting fire with fire in NJ Pinelands: How prescribed burns may save homes from wildfire. Steve Hopper says highly biodiverse peat swamps are suffering from prescribed burns. (Photo: Daniel Nee). This aids in the prevention of wildfires, reduces the intensity of the fires, and also provides a foundation for safer, more effective fire suppression and protection operations, according to the NJ Fire Service. ABOUT THE GALLERY
Aedy Miller covers education and the economy for the Burlington County Times, Courier-Post, and The Daily Journal. Prescribed fire, often with strategic tree thinning, provides a range of ecological and cultural benefits. July 19 - 23 - Monmouth Battlefield State Park
Since 1906 the New Jersey Forest Fire Service has been the agency responsible for protecting life, property, as well as the state's natural resources from wildfire. The Forest Fire Service and Division of Air Quality work together to assess wind speed, humidity and temperature and to determine the best days to conduct prescribed burning. The New Jersey Forest Fire Service does maintain an, Community Medical Center Seeking Approval of 6-Story Parking Deck, Utility Plant, Beach Badge Sales Up, But Toms River Battles to Keep Eroded Beach Entrances Open, One of Bricks Back Bay Areas Has Been Clinging Jellyfish Central This Season, Dealer in Toms River Fentanyl Death, 36, Pleads Guilty to Manslaughter, Ocean County Sets Aside $2M to Tackle Infamous Traffic Bottleneck in Silverton, Rodrick Ticket Sweeps GOP Primary in Toms River, Will Take on Democrats in November, Exclusive: Ocean County Beach Replenishment Project Suspended After Contract Protest, Toms Rivers Lightning Detectors Are Active: Heres What They Sound Like, A Beautiful Sunset Over Barnegat Bay, But Some Storms Ahead Wednesday, Old Barney Is Back: Lighthouse Reopens to Visitors, We Took A Birds-Eye View. The primary purpose of prescribed burning in New Jersey is to reduce the hazardous accumulations of forest fuels. However, if in doubt about the source of smoke or fire, call 911 or 877-WARN-DEP (877-927-6337). There were over 900 wildfires in New Jersey last year, most of them either deliberately set or accidentally caused by people, authorities said. Please do your part, and prevent interfering with wildfire suppression by staying grounded. (23/P012) TRENTON The New Jersey Forest Fire Services annual prescribed burning program to reduce wildfire risk and manage natural resources by burning the buildup of potential fuels such as undergrowth, leaves, branches and pine needles on forest floors is underway, Department of Environmental Commissioner Shawn M. LaTourette announced today. Email alexis.tarrazi@patch.com. This includes mortar live fire, Howitzer fire and cratering charges that will produce what the military described as high noise.. None of this is cause for alarm. According to the state Department of Environmental Protection, prescribed burns improve habitat for plants and animals, reduce the presence of damaging insects and ticks, and recycle nutrients into the soil. In addition, prescribed burning is an important part of the states carbon defense strategy., Allowing experts to choose the intensity, timing and interval of fire across the landscape may help prevent a larger uncontrolled wildfire, which would contribute to significant carbon loss, the DEP said in a fact sheet. State officials, however, confirmed that the burning was controlled and aimed at reducing the risk of major forest fires in March and April traditionally the highest-risk months for wildfires each year. If you see smoke, do not become alarmed, the Berkeley Township Police Department wrote in an email alert to the public on Friday night. The Forest Fire Service also works with the DEPs Air Quality division to protect public health by ensuring that prescribed burns do not occur on poor air quality days, said DEP Commissioner Catherine R. McCabe, in theprepared statement. Members of the New Jersey Forest Fire Service lit a series of fires in Burlington County on Tuesday to prevent . 4. (ABC News: Rhiannon Shine) "Peat swamps to me are the biological jewels in the southern forests," he told 7.30 . Additionally, daily notifications are posted on the Forest Fire Services Facebook and Twitter accounts. Motorists are asked to use caution when approaching areas where prescribed burns are taking place. The project, which gained New Jersey Pinelands Commission approval in October 2022, is set to mimic the effects of wildfire through the use of mechanized equipment. If in doubt about the source of smoke or fire, call 9-1-1 or 877-WARN-DEP (877-927-6337). BREVARD COUNTY, FLORIDA - A 95-acre prescribed burn is taking place today in Malabar at the Jordan Scrub Sanctuary, according to local officials. First responders were called to the apartment building . Page 1 Prescribed burning at the Stafford Forge Wildlife Management Area, March 2022. Fire season in the state now runs through early May. De-Stress & Express Yourself with a Free Online Art Workshop! "(Prescribed burning)is also an important part of the states carbon defense strategy, protecting carbon stored in forests from wildfire risk,ShawnLaTourette, acting commissioner of the Department of Environmental Protection, saidin the press release. The New Jersey Forest Fire Service will conduct controlled burns throughout the day. Forest Fires: New Jersey wildfire season is back, and getting longer thanks to climate change. The following is a list of areas where the NJFFS is scheduled to conduct the burns. March 9, 2023 / 7:06 PM When a wildfire spreads widely, firefighters might not be able to extinguish all the flames - and have to let it burn. According to the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection, there are multiple benefits to prescribed burning, which is a safe, effective and efficient means of managing the buildup of forest fuels. The Ocean County Sheriffs Office also issued an email alert on Saturday to advise residents that prescribed burns were underway in Berkeley and Lacey. Buena Vista Township Great Egg Harbor River . Proactive forest management, including prescribed burning, is vital to protecting public safety and helps to ensure that we protect the long-term health and success of our forests," saidShawnLaTourette, commissioner of the Department of Environmental Protection, in a press release. Jackson Township Colliers Mills Wildlife Management Area The New Jersey State Forest Fire Service is doing the burns in several areas of Ocean County today. February 10, 2023, Contact: With peak wildfire season underway March through May the New Jersey Forest Fire Servicehas beencarrying out several prescribed burning operations across the state. The statute benefits natural ecosystems that require fire for regeneration, homeowners by reducing fuel load on adjacent lands, and the state by reducing their time in conducting prescribed burns that will now be done by private land owners.