Wednesday, April 19, 2017

Some recent wildfire activity in New Jersey (April 14th to 17th)

I was listening to Radio Feed from the New Jersey Forest Fire Service, Division A (link to NJFFS Division A Radio Feed) this past Monday when I heard of wildfire activity in Ramapo (Bergen County, NJ not far from the New York State line). I freely admit that I was multi-tasking so was not following closely. But I knew enough to know that there was a wildfire of some sort in Ramapo on Monday, April 17th.

Knowing that Ramapo is in the response area of NJ Forest Fire Service (NJFFS) Section A2, I went to the NJFFS A2 Firefighters Association Facebook page later that same afternoon and saw the following post (April 17th at 5:22 PM), embedded below. Their Facebook posted answered my questions about the location (Ramapo Reservation near Mahwah, NJ) and that a helicopter with a bucket was requested.



Monday evening a friend of mine sent me a link to a short article about the wildfire in Ramapo Reservation to share with you, from the Mahwah Daily Voice (April 17th), confirming that one of the NJFFS Huey Helicopaters (Delta 7) with a bucket worked the fire, which was then reported at about three to five acres in size.

By late Tuesday afternoon, April 18th, a post on the NJFFS A2 Firefighters Association Facebook Page (embedded below) reported that NJFFS A2 crews were working on mop-up, reinforcing lines, and patrol. The fire was mapped at 12.5 acres.



Thanks to my friends from B10 NJ Wildland Fire for bringing the following video to my attention so that I may share it with you. You will see NJFFS Huey Delta 7 working the Ramapo Reservation Wildfire on April 17th, video from Mahwah Fire Rescue.


Direct link to video from Mahwah Fire Rescue


While I was on the NJFFS A2 Firefighters Association Facebook Page, I learned that NJFFS A2 wildfire crews worked a smaller wildfire on Friday April 14th and Saturday, April 15th (post embedded below), the Chickadee Fire burned about five acres near Upper Greenwood Lake in Passaic County.



These wildfires are representative of some of the wildfires that have burned in New Jersey the last couple of weeks. I know that there are more wildfires that have burned across New Jersey but have no list of such wildfires to share with you. I don't know of any major wildfires in New Jersey (100 acres or more) over the last 10 to 14 days, but I could be wrong.

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