Monday, April 14, 2014

Spring fire season in NJ continues - April 13

Spring fire season continues here in New Jersey with all its attendant dangers as outline in this Asbury Park Press article.

This past Sunday (April 13) was a busy day. In Salem City New Jersey a brush fire cropped up in an area dominated by phragmites and other weeds. Two brush vehicles, from the Pennsville and Elsinboro fire departments were destroyed in this wind driven fire. The firefighters in the two vehicles did get out. Approximately 100 acres were burned before the brush fire was brought under control later in the day. A SEAT under contract with the New Jersey Forest Fire Service dropped on the fire. An article with photos from the South Jersey Times reporting on the fire may be found here, and a video which includes a shot of the SEAT from NBC10 in Philadelphia may be found here.

Thanks to my friends at New Jersey Forest Fire Service Section B10 (last updates on April 13 about 1830 to 1900 hours), I know about four more wildfires that burned yesterday in central and southern New Jersey.
  • In Atco, Waterford Township (Section C11) a wild fire (size unknown) burned near the Atco Raceway. A single engine airtanker (SEAT) on contract with the New Jersey Forest Fire Service dropped on the fire in support of the wildland firefighters on the ground. The fire was partially contained as of 1900 hours last night.
  • A 10 to 20 acre fired burned in Brick Township (Section B8) yesterday with support from a SEAT and a helicopter. The fire is now contained. Article from Newsworks.
  • The third fire that I know about (I suspect that there are many I don't know about) has burned approximately 20 acres in Lower Bank (Burlington County, Section B2). Two SEATs and a Huey Helicopter with a bucket dropped on the fire.
  • A small, 1/2 acre fire in Manchester (Burlington County) NJ that a SEAT dropped on. Nice job to the SEAT pilot and the ground crews for keeping this fire small, see this this article from OCSignal.
Stay safe everyone!

Revised on April 14 th at 4:25 PM EDT

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