Random Ramblings: Aerial Wildland Firefighting

I have blogged about aerial wildland firefighting since 2009. I am not a firefighter and am not a pilot, just an interested bystander who wants to learn more and share what I learn here. Join me here as I blog on the aircraft and the pilots who fight wildland fires from the air in support of crews on the ground. I also blog on concerns affecting fire crews on the ground as well as other aviation and meteorology issues. Learn what it takes to do jobs that are staffed by the best of the best.

Tuesday, June 21, 2022

2022 NJ wildfire season: Mullica River Fire June 21st update (Burlington County NJ)

June 21st, 4:15 PM

WILDFIRE UPDATE: Wharton State Forest – Mullica River Fire@njdepforestfire continues to make substantial progress in containing a wildfire in Wharton State Forest -Washington, Shamong, Hammonton & Mullica Townships- which has reached 13,500 acres in size and is 95% contained. pic.twitter.com/BRwO0Exo6Q
— New Jersey Forest Fire Service (@njdepforestfire) June 21, 2022

June 21st, 11:30 AM

WILDFIRE UPDATE: Wharton State Forest – Mullica River Fire@njdepforestfire continues to make substantial progress in containing a wildfire in Wharton State Forest -Washington, Shamong, Hammonton & Mullica Townships- which has reached 13,500 acres in size and is 85% contained. pic.twitter.com/zrukHezWJM
— New Jersey Forest Fire Service (@njdepforestfire) June 21, 2022

I am writing to update the two posts I made yesterday on the Mullica River Fire (June 20th, 7 AM and my second post on June 20th, last updated at 9:30 PM. As of 11 AM this morning the Mullica River Fire, first reported on Sunday, June 19th, has burned about 13,500 acres in Wharton State Forest in Burlington County, NJ and is 85 percent contained. Campground and boat launches remain closed. Roads that were closed yesterday are now open. New Jersey Advance Media is one of many media outlets in the New Jersey region covering the fire, here is their latest article (June 20th, 9:30 PM) including a photo gallery. Bill Gabbert of Wildfire Today wrote a nice article on the afternoon of June 20th with a nice map (he does great maps) locating the fire.

Here is a nice video from the Associated Press (dated June 20th) covering the Mullica River Fire including excerpts from yesterday's press conference with New Jersey Forest Fire Service (NJFFS) Chief Gregory McClaughlin and Shawn Latourette, Commissioner of the NJ State Department of Environmental Protection (the NJFFS is under the umbrella of the NJ State Department of Environmental Protection.