Red Flag Warning: Southern NJ, Delaware, and Maryland

Update April 30th, 7:31 PM Conditions remained quiet in Southern New Jersey as I write this, according to my friends. It will warm up this week, so it is possible that wildfire activity could ramp up with warmer temps.

Update April 30th, 5:45 PM. My friends in Southern New Jersey tell me that so far, it has been a quiet day in the area under Red Flag Warnings in Southern New Jersey. It has been cloudy in Central and Northern New Jersey which has kept the relative humidity lower thus minimizing the fire danger.  I don't know about Northern New Jersey, but my friends from Central New Jersey tell me it has been very quiet in Central New Jersey.

Red Flag Warnings in place for Southern New Jersey, Delaware, and most of Maryland through 8 PM this evening (April 30th)

NWS Philadelphia/Mt. Holly - Red Flag Warnings through 8PM on April 30th

2017 Wildfire Season: Cowlitz County WA Wildland BR-53

This is another wet day during the 2018 spring wildfire season in New Jersey where the tankers and helos are not on duty and the fire towers are not staffed. No, I'm not getting complacent because it only take a couple of days of dry weather, perhaps less depending on the specific location for wildfires to crop up. No it did not rain yesterday, April 26th.

In the meantime, I want to embed another crew video from the 2017 wildfire season, this one summarizes the fire season of the wildland fire of BR-53 of Cowlitz County Washington. Cowlitz County is in Southwestern Washington north of Portland Oregon. The video length displays as over 24 minutes, but the actual runtime of the video is just under 19 minutes. Enjoy.

Thanks to the wildland fire crews from Cowlitz County Washington for keeping your people safe from wildfires. Stay safe during your 2018 wildfire season.


Direct link to video

Blue Angels Training (February 2017)

On this rainy Wednesday during our spring wildfire season in New Jersey things appear to be quiet, at least for the moment. But as we all know, that could change quickly. Anyway. it has been awhile since I embedded a video of the Blue Angels. This is a video from Spencerhughes2255 shot on a rainy Saturday in February 2017 in Southern California, to read more about his video go to this Youtube page and click on show more.

New Jersey Wildfire near Oswego Lake (Pine Barrens); April 23rd

April 23rd,  3:12 PM

The fire that burned about 843 acres near Oswego Lake (Penn State Forest), known as the Breeches Branch Fire, in Burlington County, NJ is at 90 percent containment according to a 10:30 AM update from my friends at the B10 NJ Wildland Fire Page. See also this article from NJ Advance Media for NJ dot com. My friends at Downstown Aero Crop Service shared some photos of a fire near Oswego Lake in Burlington County on the Downstown Aero Crop Service Facebook Page.


April 23rd, 9:40 AM

Thanks to my friends from the B10 NJ Wildland Fire Page where I learned that a wildfire started Sunday afternoon, April 22nd in Penn State Forest near Oswego Lake in the Pine Barrens in Burlington County NJ (New Jersey Forest Fire Service Section B2). Tanker 81 was working the fire yesterday, reloading out of Coyle Field. An incident command post was set up at nearby Rutgers Experimental Station. On the map below from Google Earth, the Rutgers Experimental Station is not shown on the map, but you pass near by on one of the sand roads approaching Oswego Lake. Tanker 61 was requested yesterday afternoon.

As I write this fire, as of yesterday evening, this fire had burned 843 acres and is at 10 percent containment. No structures are threatened. I understand that the New Jersey Forest Fire Service will provide an update later today and I will update this post at that time. See these articles for more information:

NJ Advanced Media for NJ dot com
Asbury Park Press
Press of Atlantic City

Historic Wildfire: NJ Pine Barrens, April 20, 1963

From time to time I reflect on the historic wildfires that burned about 190,000 acres in Southern New Jersey on April 20 1963, much of it in the Pine Barrens. I wrote about these wildfires in an article I wrote on April 17, 2014. These April 1963 wildfires came to mind again today, 55 years later as I read an article from the Press of Atlantic City dated April 20, 2018. In April 1963, Carl Owen, now 75, was a 19-year old volunteer firefighter in Mays Landing NJ when these wildfires broke out. Owen spoke about the fire conditions of that April day in 1963 to the Press of Atlantic City:

Conditions were ripe for a disastrous fire the morning of April 20, 1963. 

The New Jersey Forest Fire Service fire danger readings "were at the top of the scale" said Owen. "They couldn't get any higher" because of dry conditions and a strong westerly wind.

An April 16, 2014 article in the Burlington County Times (also referenced in my April 17, 2014 blog post) provides a little more detail on the fire weather conditions April 20, 1963:

The day began with disastrous weather conditions. 

While fire danger in the New Jersey Pines is almost always high because of the region's sandy soils and hard pitch pines, the conditions in the weeks leading up to April 20 [1963] were historically bad as barely more than a half-inch of rain fell in all of March and April, leaving the underbrush that often carpets New Jersey's pine forests bone dry, the perfect kindling to start a wildfire.

Wind gusts topped 30 to 40 mph, creating the perfect recipe for a fire to form and spread from the smallest spark.

New Jersey Forest Fire Service Chief Greg McLaughlin spoke of these dry conditions in April 1963 to the Press of Atlantic City:

"How far a fire travels and how fast it spreads is impacted by weather," said McLaughlin. 

"The 1963 fire was traveling at an extreme rate, in some cases 4.5 miles an hour. With our tactics we estimate we can handle fires traveling a quarter-to-a-half-mile an hour." ... 

"Can it spread that fast again? Absolutely."

I encourage you to read both the April 16, 2014 article in the Burlington County Times and the article in the Press of Atlantic City dated April 20, 2018. They are short articles, the Burlington County Times article has some photos.

A few years ago, a friend of mine asked me about the fire ecology and the sandy soils of the NJ Pine Barrens. I like the response provided by John McPhee in his 1967 book, The Pine Barrens:

Standing in all that dry sand, the forests glisten with oils and resins that—to some people—seem to beg for flame. Oak leaves in forests that are damp and rich are different from Pine Barrens oak leaves, which have so much protective oil concentrated within them that they appear to be made of shining green leather. The ground soaks up rainfall so efficiently that the litter on its surface is, more often than not, as dry as paper. In the sand soil, there are no earthworms and few bacteria to consume the litter, and it piles up three and four inches deep. In all, the Pine Barrens respond explosively to flame ... {McPhee, The Pine Barrens,  (Farrar, Straus, and Giroux, New York, 1967: p. 114)}

In closing, I hope that you take a couple of minutes to watch this video from the Pinelands Preservation Alliance, they have a nice webpage on Fire in the Pines with photos and a link to a nice video that I hope you watch.

Oklahoma Wildfires: April 18th update

One more day of critical fire weather in Northwest Oklahoma, relief on the way, see this Facebook Poat from the National Weather Service Norman Oklahoma for more information.

There is a nice short video from KTLU, Channel 8 in Tulsa OK, that KTLU posted on their Facebook page.

For some imagery from GOES-East showing smoke from the Oklahoma Wildfires see this short video from the satellite liaison blog

Updates on the Rhea (283,095 acres burned with only 3% containment) and the 34 Complex Fires (67,778 acres burned at 45% containment. The Oklahoma Forestry Services (OFS) posted updates on this OFS Facebook post and they also posted an update on the Rhea Fire on a second OFS Facebook post

Last but by no means least, the 34 Complex Fire has a NWS Incident Meteorologist. Watch IMET David Shallenberger share about being an IMET on this OFS Facebook post

Oklahoma Wildfires, extreme and historic wildfire danger: April 17th

The National Weather Service at Norman Oklahoma has a good Facebook page, for example they made two Facebook Posts on April 17th about the extreme fire conditions that may be found here and here.

I am aware of the wildfires that are ongoing in Oklahoma, albeit I am writing about this a few days late. Some of you know that I have been blogging about the wildfire season in Oklahoma and environs. Yesterday I heard about the #34ComplexFire which has burned over 67,776 acres in Oklahoma and the #RheaFire which has burned 248,589 acres. Current information about both of these fires, and other wildfires currently burning in Oklahoma may be found on the Oklahoma Wildfire Info Page on Facebook. The OFS has a Facebook Page that has good information, I am linking to some of the OFS Facebook posts below. Prayers for all affected.

The recently redesigned Inciweb page has a page on the 34 Complex Fire as well as a page on the Rhea Fire. Bill Gabbert of Wildfire Today has been covering the Oklahoma Wildfires, see his April 17th post for more information. News 9 Oklahoma has been covering this fire including live stream, see for example their April 17th late afternoon report.

According to the April 17th Daily Situation Report from the OFS the 34 Complex Fire in Woodward County has burned 67,776 acres and is at 45 containment. Meanwhile the Rhea Fire in Dewey County has burned 248,589 acres and was only 3 percent contained early this morning. I understand that tankers and helos are working these wildfires in support of the wildland firefighters on the ground. Structures have been destroyed and there is at least one civilian death. This is cattle country and a large number of cattle have died.

This just in the Rhea Fire is burning out of control near Seiling Oklahoma with evacuations in place, go to this Oklahoma Forestry Services Facebook post for more information.

An April 17th update on the 34 Complex Fire may be found on this Oklahoma Forestry Services post.

New Jersey 2018 Spring Wildfire Season: April 16th snippets

I want to start by sharing a photo of T-61 (Downstown Aero) on contract with the New Jersey Forest Fire Service for the next month, you may go to this Downstown Aero Facebook post to see a nice photo of T-61, an Air Tractor 602. I have had the pleasure of meeting T-61 up close in personal in prior years both while she was on contract with the NJFFS and while she was spraying the cranberry bogs. Then I met her in northern New Jersey while she was seeding a couple of years ago. A truly magnificent aircraft flown be great pilots who love her.

From the NJFFS Section A3 District Wardens Association sharing some photos of the Frelinghuysen Fire in Warren County NJ on April 13th on this Facebook post on their Facebook Page. Nice job Section A3 wildland firefighters and mutual aid firefighters!

On April 14, 2018 NJFFS Section B10 reported on a 28-acre wildfire in Browns Mills near Whitesbog Village in the NJ Pine Barrens.  Thanks and nice job Section B6 wildland firefighters and any mutual aid firefighters who may have helped you out.

New Jersey Spring 2018 Wildfire Season: April 13th

Today, April 13th,  is day two of two consecutive days of enhanced fire weather in New Jersey and environs. Here is the Special Weather Statement for enhanced fire weather from the National Weather Service Weather Forecast Office at Philadelphia/Mt. Holly:

According to my friends at the B10 NJ Wildland Fire Page, Tanker 61 (AT-602) and Tanker 81 (AT-802) are on duty today in Southern New Jersey (New Jersey Forest Fire Service Division C) and Central New Jersey (NJFFS Division B) respectively. A Helicopter with bucket is on duty in Northern New Jersey (NJFFS Division A). Fire towers in all three divisions are staffed today according to the B10 NJ Wildland Fire Page.

I would suspect, but am not certain, that there may be some smaller wildfires yesterday and today but I have no specific information about any wildfire activity of any size at the moment. However, I do know that the New Jersey Forest Fire Service is well prepared to protect New Jersey when wildfires start.

Thanks to all my friends at the New Jersey Forest Fire Service as well as our contracted aircraft who are taking care of us here in New Jersey. Stay Safe.

New Jersey Spring 2018 Wildfire Season: April 11th

The 2018 spring wildfire season may be just beginning to ramp up here in New Jersey. I noted that this past Sunday, April 8th, the National Weather Service issued a special weather statement for enhanced fire weather. I don't know of any significant wildfires that burned in New Jersey this past weekend, but I suspect that there were some smaller wildfires that burned across the state.

To see a map of New Jersey from the New Jersey Forest Fire Service with a listing of the counties in each of the three divisions go here.

I do believe that the prescribed burn season is over in Central and Southern New Jersey. However, the prescribed burn season continues in Northern New Jersey. I believe, but am not certain, that prescribed burns will continue in Northern New Jersey through April 15th.

There were prescribed burns in Morris and Sussex Counties (Northern New Jersey, Division A) on April 9th, see this post from the NJ Forest Fire Service Section A3 for more information. I do not know of any prescribed burns that were scheduled for yesterday, April 10th. There are prescribed burns scheduled for today, April 11th in Sussex and Warren Counties that the NJ Forest Fire Service Section A3 shared on their Facebook in this April 11th post

Thanks to my friends at the B10 NJ Wildland Fire Page who posted the 2018 Contract Aircraft Schedule (this information should be up through May 15th) for providing specific information on the 2018 New Jersey Forest Fire Service Contract Aircraft. Before I get to the aircraft I need to talk about a new two digit aircraft numbering system that is being used effective in 2018. This designation is different from that used in earlier years (Alpha, Bravo, Charlie depending on which Division -- A, B, C -- the aircraft was working). Starting this year (2018) the first number (6 or 8) represents the aircraft type (e.g. the number of gallons (water) carried by the aircraft) with the second number representing the number of aircraft from the contractor.

The Air Tractor AT-602 carries 600 gallons so the first number of this aircraft is "6". The Air Tractor AT-802 carries 800 gallons so the first number of this aircraft is "8".

For the aircraft listed below, each contractor is (so far) providing one aircraft so the second number is "1".

• Division B (Central New Jersey), tanker 81 (Air Tractor AT-802, 800 gallons) will be on contract from April 12 through May 11 based at the R.J. Miller Airpark.
• Division C (Southern New Jersey, Tanker 61 (Air Tractor AT-602, 600 gallons) will be on contract from April 16 through May 15 based at Downstown Airport.

To the best of my knowledge a helicopter with a bucket will be based at Andover Aeroflex Airport in Division A (Northern New Jersey), however I am not sure of the exact dates.

2017 Wildfire Season: Geronimo Hotshots

I have posted a few videos from the Geronimo Hotshots over the last few years. I just came across a video highlighting their 2017 fire season. At the end of the video you will some footage of their training and testing. They started their 2018 season on or about March 18th. Stay safe my friends.


Direct link to video on Youtube

Southern Wildfires (FL & TX): April 6th

Following up on the two Florida wildfires that I wrote about on April 2nd, according to today's Morning Report from the Southern Area Coordination Center, the Greenway Fire (17,957 acres burned in Collier County FL) is at 90 percent containment and the Firebreak 56 Fire (8,080 acres burned in Gulf County FL) is at 90 percent containment.

I read about the Spoonbill Fire in the Big Cypress National Preserve in Florida that has burned approximately 1,783 acres and was at 30 percent containment on April 4th.  It is located approximately two miles north of mile marker 69 on I-75, you may read more about the Spoonbill Fire from the Big Cypress National Preserve in a Facebook post they made on April 4th.

Moving on to Texas, the FM 294 Fire started on April 2nd and has burned 14,824 acres to date (per the Morning Report from the Southern Area Coordination Center). As I write this the last reported containment information is that it is contained at 80 percent. Four Airtankers and a couple of Helicopters worked the fire in support of the wildland firefighters on the ground. See this April 4th article from CBS 9 WFAB for a photo gallery and some information about the Tankers and Helos that worked the fire.

Slightly wet and snowy start to spring wildfire season in New Jersey

As I write this we are in the midst of a cold and wet start to our spring here in New Jersey with more rain to come over the next few days. But I am not fooled by the rain and the attendant wet soil that the rain and snow has brought. As I have seen in the past, the soils have the potential to dry out quickly in the spring. With the trees not yet leafed out, various detritus on forest floors, and dry winds we are bound to have a spring wild fire season here in New Jersey. Perhaps not today, but soon.

Prescribed burning season in central New Jersey was over on April 1st and I think but am not sure that prescribed burning season in southern New Jersey is over as well. I understand that prescribed burning season in northern New Jersey will continue through April 15th. That is, if conditions allow for prescribed burns.

My friends from the New Jersey Forest Fire Service tell me that the SEATs have a tentative start date of April 12th, a week from today. Like last year, there will be an Air Tractor 602 from Downstown Aero on contract in New Jersey Forest Fire Service (NJFFS) Division C (southern NJ) and an Air Tractor 802 on contract in NJFFS Division B (central NJ). There will be a helicopter and bucket available in NJFFS Division A (northern New Jersey). I am not quite sure how long the two SEATs are on contract, probably until sometime in early May.