Fire weather forcast for NJ: April 18

I was interested in brush and/or wild fire activity yesterday in NJ. In my wonderings, I found this webpage for NJ Forest Fire Service Division B Section 10 where they have a box on their main page for current statewide wildfire activity. This morning (Sat. April 18) they reported:

Friday 04/17/09- Light Initial Attack (IA) statewide
Friday 04/17/09- DIV A- Scotch Plains, Union County- (Division)A (section)8 crews worked a reported 2 acre fire on a mountain on the Watchung Reservation. (9pm)

obtained on April 18, 2009 at 12:40 PM from http://www.sectionb10.org/

Watchung Reservation is a park in Union County, NJ.

What is initial attack? The Glossary of Wildland Fire Terminology published by the National Wildfire Coordinating Group initial attack (IA) is:

A planned response to a wildfire given the wildfire's potential fire behavior. The objective of initial attack is to stop the fire and put it out in a manner consistent with firefighter and public safety and values to be protected.

NJ, and portions of Delaware and PA continue under elevated fire threat today.

From the Mt. Holly office of the NWS:

Special Weather Statement

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MOUNT HOLLY NJ
124 PM EDT SAT APR 18 2009

DEZ001>004-MDZ008-012-015-019-020-NJZ001-007>010-012>027-PAZ054-
055-060>062-067>071-182300-
NEW CASTLE-KENT-INLAND SUSSEX-DELAWARE BEACHES-CECIL-KENT MD-
QUEEN ANNES-TALBOT-CAROLINE-SUSSEX-WARREN-MORRIS-HUNTERDON-
SOMERSET-MIDDLESEX-WESTERN MONMOUTH-EASTERN MONMOUTH-MERCER-SALEM-
GLOUCESTER-CAMDEN-NORTHWESTERN BURLINGTON-OCEAN-CUMBERLAND-
ATLANTIC-CAPE MAY-ATLANTIC COASTAL CAPE MAY-COASTAL ATLANTIC-
COASTAL OCEAN-SOUTHEASTERN BURLINGTON-CARBON-MONROE-BERKS-LEHIGH-
NORTHAMPTON-CHESTER-MONTGOMERY-BUCKS-DELAWARE-PHILADELPHIA-
INCLUDING THE CITIES OF...WILMINGTON...DOVER...GEORGETOWN...
REHOBOTH BEACH...ELKTON...CHESTERTOWN...CENTREVILLE...EASTON...
DENTON...NEWTON...WASHINGTON...MORRISTOWN...FLEMINGTON...
SOMERVILLE...NEW BRUNSWICK...FREEHOLD...SANDY HOOK...TRENTON...
PENNSVILLE...GLASSBORO...CAMDEN...CHERRY HILL...MOORESTOWN...
MOUNT HOLLY...JACKSON...MILLVILLE...HAMMONTON...
CAPE MAY COURT HOUSE...OCEAN CITY...ATLANTIC CITY...
LONG BEACH ISLAND...WHARTON STATE FOREST...JIM THORPE...
STROUDSBURG...READING...ALLENTOWN...BETHLEHEM...WEST CHESTER...
NORRISTOWN...DOYLESTOWN...MEDIA...PHILADELPHIA
124 PM EDT SAT APR 18 2009

...ENHANCED BRUSH AND WILD FIRE CONCERNS FOR THIS AFTERNOON...

EARLY THIS AFTERNOON, RELATIVE HUMIDITY LEVELS HAD DROPPED BELOW
30 PERCENT OVER THE REGION, AND THEY WILL CONTINUE TO DROP THROUGH
MID-AFTERNOON. FINE FUELS ALSO WERE UNIFORMLY DRY. SUSTAINED WEST
WINDS GENERALLY WERE 10 TO 15 MPH, BUT THERE WERE SOME GUSTS ABOVE
20 MPH. AS A RESULT, THERE IS A HEIGHTENED CONCERN FOR THE
DEVELOPMENT AND SPREAD OF BRUSH AND WILD FIRES IN OUR REGION
THROUGH THE REST OF THE AFTERNOON.


obtained on April 18, 2009 at 1:50 PM EDT from http://forecast.weather.gov/showsigwx.php?warnzone=NJZ009&warncounty=NJC019&firewxzone=NJZ009&local_place1=Flemington+NJ&product1=Special+Weather+Statement