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). 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. Why We Work With Fire | The Nature Conservancy GALLERY LOCATIONS & DATES Pemberton Township -Brendan T Byrne State Forest, Lacey Township - Greenwood Forest Wildlife Management Area, Manchester Township -Brendan T Byrne State Forest. Forest Fires: New Jersey wildfire season is back, and getting longer thanks to climate change. Motorists are reminded to use caution when approaching areas where prescribed burns are taking place, pay attention to reduced speed limits and be alert to the presence of Forest Fire Service trucks and personnel that may be working alongside roadways. 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. AQI today: NJ air quality worsens as Canada fire smoke returns "(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. New Jersey Forest Fire Service Says Prescribed Burns in Winter and The area being set ablaze on Wednesday was not far from where four Eagleswood Township firefighters died in a blaze in 1977, and where five members of the Civil Conservation Corps died in a 1936 fire. 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. 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 . 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. The ongoing outbreak of fires in Canada is sending new waves of smoke into the American Midwest, and the pollution has been seen as far away as Europe. Buena Vista Township Great Egg Harbor River . The following is a list of areas where the NJFFS is scheduled to conduct the burns. The smoke from Canada's wildfires has started its return to South Jersey, prompting air quality alerts from state and federal agencies. Stay indoors when you can with windows closed. NJ State Police crew rescues firefighters stranded in Passaic River 01:37. Air quality worsens amid Canadian wildfires smoke: how to - USA TODAY Locals should expect to see smoke in the areas of the burns on Monday and Tuesday. Conservationists say this is what prescribed burning is doing to WA's Page 3 The Washington Turnpike Fuel Break project as seen from a helicopter during the Mullica River Wildfire, June 2022. 4. In 1944, the U.S. Forest Service charged Rudy Wendelin with the responsibility of bringing Smokey Bear, the newly created wildfire prevention symbol, to life. 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. Five controlled burns taking place in South Jersey Wednesday OLD BRIDGE, N.J. -- Dozens of fires were intentionally set across New Jersey on Thursday in an attempt to prevent wildfires. This year the NJFFS anticipates conducting prescribed burns on at least 30,000 acres . Prescribed Burns In Lacey Today | Lacey, NJ Patch Steve Hopper says highly biodiverse peat swamps are suffering from prescribed burns. Google Translate is an online service for which the user pays nothing to obtain a purported language translation. 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. The importance of prescribed burning in New Jerseys forests cannot be overstated, said Commissioner LaTourette. This year, the Forest Fire Service intends to treat 25,000 acres of forests, grasslands and marsh with prescribed fire. Controlled Burn Underway In Barnegat Tuesday | Barnegat, NJ Patch Prescribed burning reduces the fuel available to support large, high-intensity wildfires that can cause significant carbon losses. -Read Full Disclaimer, FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE On Monday, controlled burns were conducted in numerous locations in Ocean County, including: Berkeley Township Double Trouble State Park What are prescribed burns? Prescribed burning is a safe activity that is planned with strategic input from multiple DEP programs to reduce and eliminate the materials that fuel wildfires while protecting public safety. New Jersey Forest Fire Service setting 600-acre controlled burn today If in doubt about the source of smoke or fire, call 9-1-1 or 877-WARN-DEP (877-927-6337). 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. 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. Officials Conduct Controlled Burns In Berkeley Friday - Patch If you see a large fire or smell smoke in Burlington County, New Jersey Monday night, don't be alarmed. 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 dry underbrush. Wildfires not only damage our woodlands, but are becoming an increasing threat to homeowners who live within or adjacent to forest environments and residents who utilize the state's great outdoors for various forms of recreation. (23/P012) TRENTON - The New Jersey Forest Fire Service's 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. A petition with more than 2,500 signatures that called for a rethink in the way the state ran its prescribed burn program was referred to the Environment and Public Affairs Committee in late 2021. NJFFS photo by James Douglass. FOREST FIRE Brick, NJ (Drone) Prescribed Burn 3/7/21 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. 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. All rights reserved. Could Lyme disease in NJ be reduced through prescribed forest burning? Landowners interested in the Forest Fire Services assistance in conducting a prescribed burn on their property should contact their regional Forest Fire Service office. Fire season in the state now runs through early May. OCEAN COUNTY, NJ The New Jersey Forest Fire Service is conducting controlled burns in several areas on Monday, including sites in Ocean County. 2023 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. If you see smoke, do not become alarmed, the Berkeley Township Police Department wrote in an email alert to the public on Friday night. Crews are setting controlled burns, clearing seasonally dry and dead underbrush. However, if in doubt about the source of smoke or fire, call 911 or 877-WARN-DEP (877-927-6337). Additionally, daily notifications are posted on the Forest Fire Services Facebook and Twitter accounts. 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. Prescribed fire conducted March 6, 2021 by the New Jersey Forest Fire Service. Have a news tip? The New Jersey Forest Fire Service will be conducting prescribed burns in four locations in South Jersey on Tuesday in order to reduce the risk of wildland fire. The following is a list of areas where the NJFFS is scheduled to conduct the burns. Please do your part, and prevent interfering with wildfire suppression by staying grounded. ABOUT THE GALLERY Motorists are asked to use caution when approaching areas where prescribed burns are taking place. By Dan Bilefsky As Canada grapples with one . All rights reserved, Supreme Court rejects Biden's student loan forgiveness plan, UN: Wildfires Getting Worse Globally, Governments Unprepared, Biden Administration Announces Plan to Confront Worsening Wildfires, Bugs swarm NYC streets already grappling with haze from Canadian wildfires, 4-year-old reported missing after mom handed her off to woman has been found: NYPD, 5-year-old girl shot in the back while sitting in car seat: NYPD, Video shows touching moment lab chimp sees the sky for the first time in 28 years, Four North American Cities Now Near Worst Air Quality in the World. First published on March 9, 2023 / 7:06 PM. If a fire that's burning is 85% contained, that doesn't mean the fire is almost out. The large prescribed burn took place on county-owned land in Lacey Township on Monday, but was conducted by the state Forest Fire Service. 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 nutrients to the soil and facilitating the regeneration of high-value, biodiverse habitats, according to Duke Farms. Meeting the targeted acreage will depend on favorable weather conditions from February through April, when most prescribed burning takes place in New Jersey. Controlled burning is conducted . 0:04. The user is on notice that neither the State of NJ site nor its operators review any of the services, information and/or content from anything that may be linked to the State of NJ site for any reason. 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? Google Translate is an online service for which the user pays nothing to obtain a purported language translation. We have had a pretty dry run the last few months, said Shawn LaTourette, the state's environmental protection commissioner, shortly before setting some small fires Wednesday in a section of Bass River Forest in Little Egg Harbor Township, near the border of Ocean and Burlington counties. Aug. 7 - Aug. 11 - New Jersey State House. July 19 - 23 - Monmouth Battlefield State Park BERKELEY - Ocean County is not under attack, but between the smoke and the ground shaking this weekend it may feel like it. Clean the air in your home with an air purifier. Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting. The controlled burns are. The collection is on loan to the Department of Environmental Protection's New Jersey Forest Fire Service from the Special Collections section of the United States Department of Agriculture National Agriculture Library, located in Washington DC. (3:31) Prescribed or controlled burns mimic the natural, low-intensity burns that historically reduced flammable vegetation in many of our forest types. During a wildfire, our aircraft fly low to the ground, often at the same altitude that a drone would fly. The small fires being set this week in various parts of the Pinelands come as the state has been experiencing a dry spell that could lead to more and bigger fires. A New Jersey Forest Fire Service crew member spreads fire with gasoline from a drip torch during a recent controlled burn in Galloway Township. 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. Controlled Burns Slated For Ocean County This Weekend Wildfire season is starting earlier and ending later in the year as New Jersey continues to experience record-high temperatures due to climate change, according to fire officials. BREVARD COUNTY, FLORIDA - A 95-acre prescribed burn is taking place today in Malabar at the Jordan Scrub Sanctuary, according to local officials. 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. Erik Larsen: 732-682-9359 or elarsen@gannettnj.com. Officials Cause Controlled Burn in Burlington County Forest On Sunday, March 7th members of the New Jersey Forrest Fire Service along with the Brick Township Fire Department Station 21,22,23, and 24 conducted a prescr. Atlantic County. The New Jersey State Forest Fire Service plans to conduct controlled burns in the Pine Barrens to prevent future wildfires around the greater Holiday City area on Saturday. 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. (Photo: Daniel Nee) 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 . So they focus on containment, creating a barrier that the fire can't pass. Smelling smoke and seeing ash fall from the sky? Firefighters monitor the flames at each location. A state trooper had to propel down through the mist, harness the first firefighter and lift him to safety, but the . Around New Jersey's Pinelands, prescribed forest burns play an integral role in protecting homes and human lives. Each year, trained firefighters carefully burn the underbrush along roads and near . New Jersey lags far behind many other states that have passed prescribed burn bills over the past 10 years. 2023 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. State officials, however, confirmed that the burning was controlled and aimed at reducing the risk of major forest fires in March and April - [] However, if in doubt about the source of smoke or fire, call 911 or 877-WARN-DEP (877-927-6337). During prescribed burns, NJFFS personnel use handheld torches to set small fires that burn away fallen leaves and branches, pine needles and other vegetation on the forest floor. Wear a mask if you have to go outside. NJ Forest Fire Service sets 600-acre controlled burn in Burlington County forest. Several climatological and environmental conditions, all of which influence a burns intensity and severity, are considered when conducting prescribed burns to accomplish various resource and ecological objectives, such as reducing hazard fuels and managing habitats. 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. 0:41 BERKELEY - Ocean County is not under attack, but between the smoke and the ground shaking this weekend it may feel like it. Help support local journalism with a digital subscription. NJ Forest Fire Service observer Nick Valerio keeps watch in Culvers Fire Tower. NJ State Forest Fire Service setting prescribed burns at the Shore 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. Fight Fire With Fire: Burns Lessen Fire Risk in NJ Forests Watch how we set prescribed fires in Montana. Here is how to read the categories for the AQI index: Good: 0 to 50. 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. The New Jersey Forest Fire Service will conduct controlled burns throughout the day. Expect to see more smoke Friday as prescribed burning continues Officials say the practice slows flames from spreading in the event of a wildfire. Officials say it's all part of a controlled burn in the area of the Penn State Forest . This area has the largest fire history in the state, added Trevor Raynor, a section warden with the New Jersey Forest Fire Service. COLT SHAW / Staff Writer/ Please subscribe. Controlled Burns Underway in Ocean County Ahead - Toms River, NJ News 1. Dont panic, theremay be fires burning across New Jersey this weekend, but theyre supposed to be happening. 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. Additional burns will take place in Atlantic, Cape May and the northwestern reaches of Wharton State Forest near border between Burlington and Camden counties. Controlled Forest Fire Burn Taking Place At Duke Farms, Natirar Park 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.. NJ Wildfire Season: Getting longer thanks to climate change. To date in 2023, the Forest Fire Service has responded to 903 wildfires which have burned 16,448.25 acres across New Jersey. The user is on notice that neither the State of NJ site nor its operators review any of the services, information and/or content from anything that may be linked to the State of NJ site for any reason. NJDEP | New Jersey Forest Fire Service The Forest Fire Service has launched the Allen and Oswego Road Fire Mitigation and Habitat Restoration Project in Bass River State Forest because an extreme density of trees combined with other forest fuels make the area too dangerous to treat with prescribed fire alone. Showers, Bathrooms Offered To Hillsborough Due To Water Main Break, Major Water Main Break Closes Rt. 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 can spread forest fires that are fueled by dried leaves left over from the fall and winter. Two prescribed burns expected in southeastern New Jersey Friday Fighting fire with fire in NJ Pinelands: How prescribed burns may save Residents can also sign up for text or email notifications of prescribed burns by following this link. 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. See where prescribed burns are happening in NJ this weekend. February 10, 2023, Contact: Additional forest management projects aimed to limit the spread of wildfires are ongoing at other state-owned property including Double Trouble State Park. 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. The public may see plumes of smoke, encounter hazy conditions or even notice ash in the air in or around the Pine Barrens near their communities, according to an email alert about the scheduled burns. Canada's Ability to Prevent Forest Fires Lags Behind the Need The CBS New York team is a group of experienced journalists who bring you the content on CBSNewYork.com. MORE: Learn about wildfires in New Jersey, steps to protect property and other resources. With peak wildfire season underway March through May the New Jersey Forest Fire Servicehas beencarrying out several prescribed burning operations across the state. Help support local journalism with a digital subscription. February 22, 2023 New Jersey Receives $995,000 Federal Grant for Wildfire Mitigation Efforts in Area of Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst (23/P014) February 10, 2023 New Jersey Forest Fire Service Plans Prescribed Burning Across Thousands of Acres in State Forests (23/P012) February 9, 2022 Dont panic, theremay be fires burning across New Jersey, but theyre supposed to be happening. That concerns me," he said. Active forest fire prevention protects lives, property and the health of New Jersey's forests and natural resourcesthe NJFSS said in apress release. There are multiple benefits to prescribed burning, which is a safe, effective and efficient means of managing the buildup of forest fuels that may contribute to the start and spread of a wildfire, the state Forest Fire Service said in a statement.