Elevated Fire Risk in NW NJ: March 9th

I had taken a day off with a friend yesterday, in part taking advantage of some unseasonably warm weather. Temperatures were well into the 60s yesterday even in extreme northern New Jersey where I was yesterday. My friend and I were visiting Stokes State Forest in Sussex County when we passed some New Jersey State Forest Fire vehicles NJSFF firefighters, perhaps finishing up a controlled burn. As it was an unseasonably warm day in early March, I found myself thinking that the spring wildfire season in New Jersey is just around the corner.

I was a little busy earlier this morning. Thanks to reading this article on NJ dot com, I saw that there is a risk of wildfires today. The National Weather Service in Mt. Holly NJ issued an enhanced fire danger warning for much of their forecast area in New Jersey and southeastern Pennsylvania with conditions approaching red flag warning criteria for a couple of hours this afternoon:

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MOUNT HOLLY NJ 943 AM EST WED MAR 9 2016

SUSSEX-WARREN-MORRIS-HUNTERDON-SOMERSET-MIDDLESEX- WESTERN MONMOUTH-MERCER-SALEM-GLOUCESTER-CAMDEN- NORTHWESTERN BURLINGTON-CARBON-MONROE-BERKS-LEHIGH-NORTHAMPTON- DELAWARE-PHILADELPHIA-WESTERN CHESTER-EASTERN CHESTER- WESTERN MONTGOMERY-EASTERN MONTGOMERY-UPPER BUCKS-LOWER BUCKS- INCLUDING THE CITIES OF...NEWTON...WASHINGTON...MORRISTOWN... FLEMINGTON...SOMERVILLE...NEW BRUNSWICK...FREEHOLD...TRENTON... PENNSVILLE...GLASSBORO...CAMDEN...CHERRY HILL...MOORESTOWN... MOUNT HOLLY...JIM THORPE...STROUDSBURG...READING...ALLENTOWN... BETHLEHEM...EASTON...MEDIA...PHILADELPHIA...HONEY BROOK... OXFORD...WEST CHESTER...KENNETT SQUARE...COLLEGEVILLE... POTTSTOWN...NORRISTOWN...LANSDALE...CHALFONT...PERKASIE... MORRISVILLE...DOYLESTOWN 943 AM EST WED MAR 9 2016
...AN ELEVATED RISK FOR SPREAD OF FIRES THIS AFTERNOON...
RELATIVE HUMIDITY VALUES WILL DROP TO OR JUST BELOW 30 PERCENT WHILE SOUTHWEST WIND GUSTS OF 15 TO 20 MPH WILL DEVELOP THIS AFTERNOON. THE COMBINATION OF LOW RELATIVE HUMIDITY, GUSTY WINDS AND DRY FUELS WILL PRODUCE AN ELEVATED RISK FOR THE SPREAD OF FIRES THIS AFTERNOON ACROSS INTERIOR NEW JERSEY AND EASTERN PENNSYLVANIA.

The National Weather Service in Upton, New York has issued an enhanced fire danger warning covering a portion of their forecast area in northeastern New Jersey:

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE NEW YORK NY 1015 AM EST WED MAR 9 2016
NJZ002-004-006-103>108-092300- WESTERN PASSAIC-EASTERN PASSAIC-HUDSON-WESTERN BERGEN- EASTERN BERGEN-WESTERN ESSEX-EASTERN ESSEX-WESTERN UNION- EASTERN UNION- 1015 AM EST WED MAR 9 2016

...AN ELEVATED RISK FOR SPREAD OF FIRES THIS AFTERNOON...

RELATIVE HUMIDITY VALUES ACROSS THE AREA WILL DROP TO NEAR 30 PERCENT THIS AFTERNOON. AT THE SAME TIME...WINDS WILL GUST TO AROUND 20 MPH...HOWEVER THERE MAY BE OCCASIONAL GUSTS CLOSER TO 25 MPH. THESE CONDITIONS ALONG WITH DRY FUELS...WILL COMBINE FOR AN ELEVATED RISK FOR THE SPREAD OF FIRES.

The New Jersey Forest Fire Service has suspended all prescribed burning operations for today, Wednesday March 9th (see their March 9th post about today's enhanced fire danger on the New Jersey Forests Facebook page). According to my friends at the B10 NJ Wildland Fire Page who posted today that all fire towers in New Jersey (Divisions A, B, and C) are staffed today.

Thanks to all New Jersey State Forest Fire Service wildland firefighters for keeping us safe today.