I have a busy day and do want to get my Monday post in. Here is a heartwarming video that I learned about from my friends at the B10 NJ Wildland Fire Page the other day. The video is from CBS Philadelphia (2023) showcasing three generations of NJ Wildland Firefighters
Direct link to June 2023 video from CBS Philadelphia on YouTube
Direct link to April 2023 video from Eyewitness News ABC7 NY on YouTube
I thank my friends at the B10 NJ Wildland Fire Page who shared this April 2023 video on their webpage this morning. In this short video you will learn about how the NJ Forest Fire Service use airtankers and helicopters with buckets to support the firefighters on the ground. This video was shot during the spring 2023 wildfire season when airtankers were specifically on contract in NJ to fly wildfires. During other times of the year there is an airtanker and helicopters with buckets that are available if they are called upon. And I believe that the same applies to helicopters with buckets
Direct link to September 20th video from Coulson Aviation on YouTube
I love the humor in this Happy Girls in Aviation Day video and might have done the same things when I was girl if given the chance. I support girls in the cockpit and hope to see more girls and women flying.
Direct link to 2020 video from pennstategeography on YouTube
Thanks to my friends at the B10 NJ Wildland Fire Page for sharing this video on their website the other day. I believe that this video targets community managers so that they can start the process of learning how to protect their community and work with community residents and business on things that the community can do to protect themselves from wildfires. Among the tools they discuss is a program called Firewise a program that provides "provides simple, effective steps to help communities reduce the risk of destruction from wildfire."
Direct link to September 17th video from NewsNation on YouTube
I am intrigued by what I saw in this video about the new BurnBot, a large Zamboni like machine that can create fire breaks next to homes, highways and businesses. I understand that BurnBots are being used in California and other states are interested in BurnBots. More BurnBots will be built in 2026 and 2027
focus(es) on on five interdependent priorities:• Address systemic inefficiencies and modernize aviation and coordination systems◦ Create a joint federal firefighting aircraft service◦ Consolidate predictive services into a national intelligence capability• Strengthen interagency wildfire coordination and response◦ Modernize and right-size qualifications and training◦ Standardize the Emergency Firefighter Program• Improve federal partnerships and reduce administrative burden◦ Streamline cooperative agreements◦ Establish a joint contracting, procurement and payment center• Ensure wildfire research, technology, and IT investments are mission-ready◦ Build a modern, cohesive Wildfire Enterprise IT System◦ Modernize personal protective equipment standards to better safeguard firefighters• Integrate pre- and post-fire activities into a complete wildfire strategy◦ Deploy a unified wildfire risk mapping tool◦ Establish a consistent Emergency Stabilization and Rehabilitation framework◦ Expand beneficial use of biomass and residual forest products
I think that the creation of the U.S. Wildland Fire Service is a good step forward to managing wildfires in the United States. I look forward to following the new service after it is implemented in January 2026
Direct link to September 9th post from NOAA Office of Oceanic and Atmospheric Research
While perusing Facebook today I came across an interesting post from NOAA Office of Oceanic and Atmospheric Research about a new mobile fire weather system known is the Collaborative Lower Atmospheric Mobile Profiling System (aka CLAMPS) that is currently being tested. If you follow the link in the Facebook post about CLAMPS that I embedded above (or go here to access the referenced document) you will see a short document about the development of this new mobile unit. I am always intrigued by any systems that will help improved fire weather forecasting and observations before, during and after wildfires. I hope that you take a little time to go and read this short document. According to this document about CLAMPS:
CLAMPS provides a novel combination of observations from multiple instruments designed to simultaneously observe the surface and lower atmosphere—specifically the boundary layer, where the surface interacts with it—and can be deployed quickly to wildfire-prone regions in the U.S. The data it collects will be used to improve our understanding of how changing conditions in the atmosphere influence fire weather in these areas, and how fires influence the atmosphere.”
The CLAMPS system is equipped with an array of instruments that were selected by experts at the participating labs. A primary aim is collecting measurements along a vertical profile from the surface upward into the atmosphere. For some of these instruments, CLAMPS utilizes GSL’s Tropospheric Remotely Observed Profiling via Optimal Estimation (TROPoe) software to retrieve the desired profiles from the observed data. ...
The instruments, several of which are part of ARL’s innovative collapsible, mobile observing tower, installed in CLAMPS include:
- Doppler lidar wind profiler, providing vertical profiles of wind speed and direction, as well as profiles of turbulent mixing
- Infrared spectrometer, providing vertical profiles of temperature and humidity from the surface to 3km, and cloud properties
- Ceilometer, measuring the height of aerosols, smoke, and cloud layers
- Surface radiometers, measuring downward shortwave and longwave radiation, which help observe the impacts of clouds, smoke, and aerosols on the surface radiation budget
- Sonic anemometers and moisture probes, which measure turbulent fluxes of heat, water vapor, carbon dioxide, and momentum
- Surface meteorology sensors, which measure near-surface temperature, relative humidity, atmospheric pressure, precipitation amount, and wind speed and direction
- Soil moisture probes, which measure soil moisture at different depths, allowing for a better understanding of the relationship between atmospheric conditions and the evolution of soil properties
- Trace gas and aerosol detectors, measuring concentrations in the air just above the top of the trailer of particulate matter (below 2.5 microns in size), carbon dioxide, and carbon monoxide, thereby providing key measures of unhealthy air quality"
Obtained on September 15, 2025 from https://gsl.noaa.gov/news/new-mobile-noaa-research-fire-weather-observing-facility-undergoes-testing-in-colorado
I look forward to learning more about CLAMPS in the future, according to the referenced document about CLAMPS, one CLAMPS system is currently deployed in Colorado and a second will be available in 2026.
 |
| Obtained on September 12, 2025 from NJ Forest Fire Service Section B10 |
I took the photo below at Liberty State Park in New Jersey in 2024. You are looking at the site of the World Trade Center. Those with ties to New Jersey who died from the attacks on the World Trade Center are engraved on the inside walls.
 |
| Photo taken by Tyler of Random Ramblings on April 24, 2024 |
Direct link to September 9th video from CTV News on YouTube
I have been hearing about the bad wildfire season in British Columbia Canada for several days now so perhaps somewhat belatedly I want to make this post focusing on these wildfires.
According to the September 9th Dashboard from the British Columbia Wildfire Service (updated daily so you may see something different), there are 152 active wildfires with 48 out of control wildfires. Campfire restrictions are currently in place. There are evacuation orders in place for some wildfires. There are 125 aerial resources assigned to work British Columbia Wildfires. You will also see a listing of other resources
They also have a map view and a list view with a list of all the wildfires, these pages are updated daily so what I am sharing here may be different from what you will see if you visit these pages. If you are interested in a specific wildfire, go to the map view and zoom in to the area you are interested and click on the dot representing a specific wildfire and you may find more information about that fire. To give you an overview of the wildfire situation in British Columbia I am inserting a screen shot I took of the current map view.
 |
| Obtained on 09102025 from https://wildfiresituation.nrs.gov.bc.ca/map |
The BC Wildfire Service also has a blog, account on Facebook that you should be able to access without an account, as well as an account on YouTube.
My thoughts are wish all who are affected by these wildfires, wildland firefighters, aerial support, and support teams working these fires,
Direct link to Sept 6th, 10:50 AM post from the New Jersey Forest Fire Service on Facebook
The Buckabear Fire remains to 200 acres burned, containment is now at 80 percent. A road closure remains in effect. In addition a boat ramp is closed at a reservoir near the fire.
;
Direct link to the Facebook post from the NJ Forest Fire Service at 10:30AM post on Sept 5th.
The Buckabear wildfire continues to burn in West Milford Township in Passaic County NJ. As I write this at 11:50 AM, according to the 10:30AM update from the NJ Forest Fire Service on Facebook 200 acres have burned and the fire is at 60 percent containment. Acreage burned has increased slightly from 185 acres that the NJ Forest Fire Service reported last night and containment has remained the same. A road closure remains in effect and no structures are threatened and a boat launch at a reservoir near the fire is closed. I will make another update tomorrow morning unless there is a significant change in the status of this wildfire.
There was rainfall in northern New Jersey last night, and I hope that this rainfall helped the wildland firefighters. The NJ Forest Fire Service will be assessing the impact the rainfall had on the fire and hopefully the containment percentage will increase
Direct link to the Facebook post from the NJ Forest Fire Service at 9:25 AM post on Sept 4th.
The Buckabear wildfire continues to burn in West Milford Township in Passaic County NJ. As I write this at 10:10 AM, according to the 9AM update from the NJ Forest Fire Service on Facebook 160 acres have burned and the fire is at 50 percent containment. The good news is that there is no increase in acreage burned from what the NJ Forest Fire Service reported last night and containment has increased from 40 to 50 percent. A road closure remains in effect and no structures are threatened. I will make another update tomorrow morning unless there is a significant change in the status of this wildfire.
Direct link to September 2nd (8:40 AM) post on Facebook from the New Jersey Forest Fire Service
A shout out to my friends at the B10 NJ Wildland Fire Page where I just learned about the Buckabear Fire that is burning in West Milford Township in Passaic County, NJ. The fire was first reported during the early evening on September 2nd. The fire has burned 90 acres and is currently at 20 percent containment according to this update (September 2nd, 8:40 AM). There is a road closure in the fire area and no structures are threatened.
Direct link to video from History on YouTube
I appreciate the history behind the Labor Day holiday in the United States and recall enjoying this end of summer holiday in years past. On this Labor Day, I remember wildland firefighters; structure firefighters; first responders; emergency medical technicians; law enforcement personal; physicians, nurses, nurses aides and other hospital staff; and utility workers who work on this day so that we may be safe. Moreover, most retail establishments are open on Labor Day so that we may have the convenience of purchasing a needed item. So, on this Labor Day while some of you have a holiday, I want to honor all those who are working today.
If you are traveling today please be safe.
Edited to add on September 1st and 12:30 PM. I don't know what I was thinking when I left essential government workers such as the National Weather Service off of my original post. Most weather service office work around the clock every day including holidays in order to provide timely weather forecasts and alerts to keep us safe/