WFMZ News 69 in Allentown Pennsylvania is reporting that the Rock Face Fire is now at 80 acres and is at 80 percent containment. Officials with the New Jersey Forest Fire Service say that the fire will not be fully contained until there has been one-half inch of rain. There were about 40 wildland firefighters working the fire aided by water drops by a helicopter, probably Delta 5. The News 69 article had an interesting report on behavior of the Rock Face Fire.
Chris Franek, the state forest fire service's assistant division fire warden, said fires on similar terrain usually burn upward but that Sunday's fire, which started below a trail at an elevation of about 1,400 feet burned downhill because the trail area is rocky and without abundant vegetation. He said fires are rare there at this time of year because the area usually has a layer of snow.According to LehighValleyLive in an article (with a photo gallery) updated today at 4:11 PM, there was a 3 PM conference call with Chris Franek, the NJFFS Assistant Division State Warden:
Though the fire and emergency response closed some of the trails to the summits overlooking the Delaware River in northern Warren County, the blaze mostly affected brush and fallen leaves and appeared to spare the wooded parklands any serious, lasting damage.
“It was almost like a rejuvenation process” clearing undergrowth from the woods, said Chris Franek, an assistant division fire warden with the New Jersey Forest Fire Service, during a 3 p.m. conference call updating media on the operation’s status.
February 24th 8:40 AM revised 11 AM
The Rock Face Fire started on February 23rd near the Red Dot Trail on Mt. Tammany. The command post is at the Dunnfield Creek Parking lot off of Interstate 80 West just before you cross into Pennsylvania. The New Jersey Forest Fire Service Huey Helicopter known as Delta 5 worked the fire yesterday afternoon until night fall shut her down. I understand that wildland firefighters from the NJ Forest Fire Service as well as the Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area are fighting the fire. This is a fire that requires wildland firefighters to hike in to fight the fire. Approximately 70 acres have burned.
When I was younger with better knees, I hiked up Mt. Tammany on the Red Dot Trail, it is a very nice trail and it is quite steep in spots. The State Forest and the Delaware Water Gap Recreation area are open, but trails in the area are closed to hiking. Interstate 80 is open with one lane blocked.
Thank-you to my friends from NJFFS Section B10 who made me aware of this wildfire this morning.
I do not know the exact location of the Rock Face Fire, but I do want to share a screen shot from Google Earth of the area where the fire is. You will see the trail head for the red dot trail up Mt. Tammany in New Jersey. I believe that the incident command center is a parking area just to the west of the red dot trail head.
I do not know the exact location of the Rock Face Fire, but I do want to share a screen shot from Google Earth of the area where the fire is. You will see the trail head for the red dot trail up Mt. Tammany in New Jersey. I believe that the incident command center is a parking area just to the west of the red dot trail head.
Information on the Rock Face Fire
Monday Morning (February 24th) update from Section A3 District Wardens Association Facebook Page
WFMZ News 69 (Allentown PA) report with photos and video (February 24th)
More photos from the Section A3 Wardens Facebook Page may be found here, here, here and here
More photos from the Section A3 Wardens Facebook Page may be found here, here, here and here
These videos that I am sharing below were posted on the Section A3 Wardens Facebook Page, depending on your privacy settings and the browser you are using, you may not see the videos. But you may find the video of the Delta 5 may be found here and a short video of the wildfire taken on the evening of February 23rd may be found here.
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