2023 New Jersey Wildfire Season: No Threat by Tree Struck by Lightning

 Over the years that I have been writing this blog, I have learned of the possible dangers caused by a tree being struck my lightning. Sometimes a tree strike can lead to a small or large wildfire. There are also the times when the responders respond quickly to the tree strike and if the tree poses no danger will wait and monitor until such a time that the fire caused by the tree strike can be safely contained and put out. 

I also know that there are many small wildfires, some of which are too small to make it into any database. In New Jersey, I believe but am not certain that any fire that is under five acres does not make it into the NJ Forest Fire Service database. Whether or not one calls such small fire a brush fire or something else, I do not know. But the point is that such a very small "brush" fires do happen and are contained and put out before they grow into something larger. Such a "brush" fire happened on or about September 8th. A tree in Green Township in northern New Jersey was struck by lightning, because the Green Township Fire Department determined that the tree was not a threat to to homes, roads, and  power lines they let the tree burn until the tree top fell to the ground. At this time, New Jersey Forest Fire Service crews had been alerted and were ready to put out the fire as soon as the tree top fell to the ground, water was supplied by GreenTownship.