Spring Fire Season in NJ???

Since I first began writing about aerial wildland firefighting early in 2009, I have equated the arrival of spring here in NJ with the start of the period when the NJ Forest Fire Service's Single Engine Airtankers aka SEATs (AgCat's and two AT-602's) are under contract. This year the first SEAT went under contract in southern NJ on March 21. Most of the remaining SEATs were under contract by March 26, several went off contract on or about May 4. The last SEAT went off contract on or about May 11.

Some of you may have noticed that I have not written much about wildfires in NJ this spring. I do recall a couple of days of red flag warnings in late March. Then followed a reasonably wet April. The NJ State Climatologist has a detailed report on New Jersey's April weather here.

As I understand it, after some moderate fire activity earlier this year, wildfire activity in NJ was fairly light during most of the spring fire season. However if things do dry out in NJ, and all it takes is some dry weather for a couple of weeks, and wildfire activity could return to "normal" levels, or perhaps even above normal levels if there is a prolonged dry spell.

As I sit here and write this article after a week of rainy and cloudy weather here in NJ due to a cut-off low, it is hard to think about prolonged dry weather. But you never know.


Corrected on May 21, 2011 - Sorry for leaving out the date when the first SEAT went on contract here in NJ.