2020 New Jersey Forest Fire Service prescribed burning season is underway

I have noted over the last couple of weeks that the New Jersey Forest Fire Service (NJFFS) had been conducting prescribed burns at some locations around the state for a couple of weeks now, perhaps because the weather had been favorable.  Now it is official, in a press release dated February 25th, the New Jersey Forest Fire Service talked about their prescribed burning program, the press release may be found here. The press release speaks to the importance of prescribed burns and why the NJFFS does them in the late winter months:

Prescribed burns, also known as controlled burns, are generally conducted during late winter months to reduce the amount of smoke produced and because weather conditions tend to be more predictable for safer controlled fires. The lack of snow and ice on the ground so far this winter gives the Forest Fire Service a good start on conducting controlled burns to reduce wildfire risk. 

“Controlled burns have a number of benefits for our forests and ecosystems,” said Ray Bukowski, Assistant Commissioner for Natural and Historic Resources. “In addition to burning away materials that can fuel wildfires, controlled burns can improve wildlife habitats, manage competing species of plants and trees, control insects and disease, and recycle important nutrients into the soil. All of these activities help keep New Jersey’s forest ecosystem vibrant and healthy.” 

During prime wildfire season, fallen leaves, branches and twigs are abundant, daylight increases, humidity can be low, and the air is often warm and windy. These weather conditions coupled with lack of new leaf growth makes the debris on forest floors more susceptible to the drying effects of wind and sun.

On February 24th,  some NJFFS  wildland firefighters in Division A were fighting the Rock Face Fire in the Delaware Water Gap of New Jersey, other NJFFS wildland firefighters were doing prescribed burns elsewhere in the state, see this February 24th Facebook post by the New Jersey Forest Fire Service. One of those prescribed burns was done in the Mercer Meadows near Lawrenceville in Mercer County, New Jersey.

New Jersey Advance Media sent a reporter to the Pole Farm area of Mercer Meadows to report on this prescribed burn in a February 25th article (with photos and the video that I am embedding below). Jillian Stark of the Mercer County Park Commission had this to say about the benefits of this prescribed burn for this grassland: "Over time, the thatch layer acts as a barrier to new seed growth will increase the floral diversity here."


Direct link to New Jersey Advance Media video on Youtube