2023 New Jersey Wildfire Season: Red Flag Warning for NJ (11 AM to 8PM)

 

obtained  at 8:30 AM on April 19, 2023 from NWS Mt Holly

Fire Weather Planning Forecast 

National Weather Service Mount Holly NJ

554 AM EDT Wed Apr 19 2023

...RED FLAG WARNING IN EFFECT FROM 11 AM THIS MORNING TO 8 PM EDT THIS EVENING...

.DISCUSSION...

Low daytime relative humidity is forecast through the remainder of the week. Critical fuel moistures continue to dry out as we get further away from the most recent wetting rains. This will continue to result in fire weather concerns for the next few days, but especially for today as breezy conditions persist.

For today, conditions will be somewhat less significant compared to Tuesday in terms of winds. West to northwest winds will be sustained around 10 to 15 mph with frequent gusts around 20-25 mph. The winds will be on the lower end of the aforementioned spectrum for Delmarva. Relative humidity is forecast to fall to around 20% to 30% across much of the area. Some minimum values near 15% are possible across Delmarva. Forecast high temperatures are well into the mid to upper 60s across the area, and near 70 degrees across Delmarva.

A Red Flag Warning has been issued for New Jersey, which is in effect from 11 AM to 8 PM today. A Special Weather Statement has been issued for our Maryland and Delaware forecast zones, since the current wind forecast does not meet Red Flag criteria for those areas. Additional coordination will be needed later this morning to determine if any fire weather danger products will beneeded for Pennsylvania.

For Thursday and Friday, relative humidity will continue to fall to around 30% across the area, although winds will be notably less around 10 mph during the daytime hours.

2023 New Jersey Wildfire Season: River Road Fire Washington Twshp (Burlington County)

April 19, 2023 10:50 AM

I am sharing the 10 AM update from the New Jersey Forest Fire Service on the River Road Fire in Washington Township, Burlington County. The fire remains at 257 acres, no structures are threatened and a couple of local roads remain closed.

April 19, 2023 8:15 AM

By late yesterday evening the New Jersey Forest Fire Service had made progress in fighting the River Road Fire. As of about 10:30 PM, the fire remained at 257 acres with containment increasing to 65 percent. Thirty structures are still threatened. Route 542 was open last night but a couple of local roads remained closed. 

Here is a report from 6ABC in Philadelphia from earlier this morning.

Direct link to video from 6ABC in Philadelphia

April 18, 2023 9:50 PM

Thanks to my friends at the New Jersey Forest Fire Service Section B10 for making me aware of the River Road Fire has burned 257 acres in Washington Twshp, Burlington County. Thirty structures are threatened. I will follow up on this tomorrow morning, April 19th. The National Weather Service at Mt. Holly did issue a Red Flag Warning for southern New Jersey that expired at 8 PM tonight.

Here us a report from ABC6 in Philadelphia early on the afternoon of April 18th

Direct link to video from ABC6 in Philadelphia on YouTube

2023 New Jersey Wildfire Season: Elevated Fire Danger SE New Jersey

Fire Weather Planning Forecast

National Weather Service Mount Holly NJ

405 AM EDT Tue Apr 18 2023

...RED FLAG WARNING IN EFFECT FROM NOON TODAY TO 8 PM EDT THIS

EVENING...

.DISCUSSION...

Showers and storms Saturday provided significant wetting rain for portions of the region, however we will continue to dry out through the middle of the week. Low daytime relative humidity is forecast through the remainder of the week along with breezy conditions and limited overnight recoveries persisting. This will continue to result in fire weather concerns for the next few days.

For today, west winds are expected to prevail around 15-20 mph across the area with frequent gusts in the 25-30 mph range. Peak gusts up to 35 mph will be possible across far southeastern Pennsylvania and across the coastal plains of southern new Jersey and Delmarva. Relative humidity is forecast to fall to around 20% to 35%, lowest across Delmarva and the Pine Barrens of New Jersey. High temperatures will range from the mid 50s in northern New Jersey and eastern Pennsylvania to the mid 60s across the Pine Barrens and Delmarva. Overnight relative humidity recovery will be around 60% to 70% with a 10 mph west to northwest breeze persisting tonight.

The Fire Weather Watch for the eastern shore of Maryland was upgraded to a Red Flag Warning, which is in effect from noon until 8 PM today. Additionally, a Special Weather Statement was issued for portions of the coastal New Jersey (Atlantic, eastern Burlington, Monmouth, and Ocean Counties), where little rainfall has occurred in recent days. Collaboration with our state fire partners will determine if any additional products will be needed for today.

By Wednesday, conditions will improve somewhat compared to today. West to northwest winds will lessen somewhat to around 15 mph with gusts around 20-25 mph possible, however relative humidity is still forecast to fall to around 30% across much of the area.

Looking farther ahead, relative humidity will continue to fall to around 30% across the area both Thursday and Friday, although winds will be notably less around 10-15 mph.

 

New Jersey 2023 Wildfire Season: A West Milford NJ Fire Company thanks all who helped with Kanouse Fire

 On Saturday, April 15th I wrote that the New Jersey Forest Fire Service reported that the Kanouse Fire in West Milford (Passaic County NJ) was 100 percent contained. Last evening, Sunday, April 16th I saw that the North Jersey Wildland Fire Association on Facebook shared a very nice post from one of the six West Milford Fire Companies -- Macopin Firehouse WMFD4 -- thanking a long list of all that helped contain the Kanouse Fire. It is a long Facebook post and hope that you take a few moments to read the post. In the years that I have been writing this blog I often see reports of gratitude from residents affected by a wildfire, thanking the responders as well as reports from responders thanking all those who helped them. I was touched by this post and wanted to share it with you. Here are the highlights from the April 15th post (embedded below) from the Macopin Firehouse WMFD4

• All six West Milford Fire Companies responded;
• Mutual Aid from 34 (if I counted correctly) towns and Picatinny Aersonal;
• Mutual Aid Coordinators from Passaic County and nearby Morris County;
• Wildland firefighters from the New Jersey Forest Fire Service, US Fish and Wildlife Forestry Service, and the Delaware Water Gap;
• Water drops from aircraft;
• Police departments from West Milford and Bloomingdale as well as the New Jersey State Police:
• The West Milford Department of Public Works;
• Ladies Auxiliary of Companies 4 and 1 who organized and distributed donations that were received;
• West Milford First Aid Squad, Milton First Aid Squad, Passaic County Volunteer Canteen and Rehab Unit, University of Medicine and Dentistry; and the NJ EMS Task Force;
• The West Milford CERT team who passed out cases of water and refreshments on April 14th;
• Many, many, many, residents of West Milford and surrounding communities who donated supplies and helped evacuate approximately 100 animals;
• Mayor Dale and Town Council of West Milford;
• At least 30 area businesses and retailers (local and chains) who donated supplies.

New Jersey 2023 Wildfire Season: Log Swamp Fire (Little Egg Harbor Twshp, Ocean County)

April 16, 12:10 PM

The New Jersey Forest Fire Service reported that the Log Swamp Fire in Little Egg Harbor Township (Ocean County) was at 100 percent containment at 8 AM on April 16th. A prescribed burn conducted by the NJFFS at the Warren Grove Bombing Range helped in achieving containment. NJFFS wildland firefighters remain on the scene to monitor containment lines and help ensure the safety of the public. Route 539 is reopened. Scroll down to read earlier updates.

April 16, 7:05 AM

The New Jersey Forest Fire Service made good progress yesterday afternoon in containing the Log Swamp Fire in Little Egg Harbor Township. The NJFFS gave the below report on the fire about 8 PM yesterday evening, at that time the fire had burned 1,607 acres and was at 60 percent containment. No structures are threatened. Route 539 in the vicinity of the fire was closed yesterday afternoon and early evening. The fire area did not receive any rain yesterday afternoon. I will update this post early this afternoon with another report from the NJFFS.

April 15, 4:15 PM

This just in, the Log Swamp Fire is currently burning off of Route 539 in the Bass River State Forest, the Stafford Forge Wildlife Management Area, and the Warren Grove Bombing Range. The fire was first reported by the Cedar Bridge Fire Tower at about 10:17 AM. As I write this, the fire has burned 200 acres and is not contained. No structures are threatened. Route 539 is closed in the vicinity of the fire.

New Jersey 2023 Wildfire Season: Kanouse Fire (West Milford Twshp, Passaic County) Fully Contained

 I have been writing about the Kanouse Fire recently, see my April 12th and yesterday's post (April 14th) for a history of this fire.

The New Jersey Forest Fire Service is reporting that the Kanouse Fire is at 100 percent containment. New Jersey Forest Fire Service Wildland Firefighters remain on the scene to monitor containment lines as well as ensuring the safety of the public.

New Jersey 2023 Wildfire Season: Update on Kanouse Fire (April 14th)

April 14, 4:00 PM

The Kanouse Fire remains at 972 acres burned, containment has increased to 65 percent. One structure remains under evacuation orders and ten are threatened.

April 14, 11:40 AM 

The Kanouse Fire currently burning in West Milford, NJ has grown to 972 acres and is currently at 55 percent containment. It is the largest wildfire in northern New Jersey since 2010. I listened to a New Jersey Forest Fire Service news conference at 11 AM this morning. Officials cited some environmental factors that lead to this growth leading to embers from the original fire location west of Echo Lake (see the map) spotting across Echo Lake causing a fire on the east side of the Lake. Officials discussed the impact of clusters of Ash Trees killed by the Emerald Ash Borer (aka snags), invasive species, and Mountain Laurel (oily leaves) that gave the opportunity for embers to be carried by the wind across Echo Lake to start a fire in this new location late in the afternoon of April 13th. 

Last night evacuation were in place for five residences, four orders were lifted overnight with one evacuation still in place as I write this. Ten structures are threatened. No injuries have been reported. The New Jersey Forest Fire Service (NJFFS) is assisted and is grateful to the support of local fire companies, many of which are volunteer, EMS workers, police departments and other responders for their help. They also cited the care of local residents who offered food and water and a place to shower to the fire fighters. A contract air tanker is working the fire as is a helicopter for observation and bucket work. NJFFS crews from central and southern New Jersey came to help. The NJFFS crews continued to perform backfiring operations last night. According to the Glossary of Wildland Fire Terminology from the National Wildfire Coordinating Group, a backfire is "a fire set along the inner edge of a fireline to consume the fuel in the path of a wildfire or change the direction of force of the fire's convection column."

The concern over the next few days is that while there is rain in the forecast, it seems unlikely that there will be enough rain to fully control the fire as more than an inch of rain will be needed. 

For more information see this report (includes video of NJFFS press conference) from CBS2 in NYC and this report from NJ Advance Media

2023 New Jersey Wildfire Season - Busy Week

This has been a busy week for the New Jersey Forest Fire Service and various mutual aid local fire companies, in part due to the severe fire weather over the last three days that is continuing today, April 14th.

Fire Weather Planning Forecast National Weather Service Mount Holly NJ 10:06 AM EDT Fri Apr 14 2023

.DISCUSSION...

Another period of elevated fire weather conditions is possible today as dry and warm conditions continue. Min RH values will again drop into the 20-30% range across E PA and N NJ, with higher min RH values around 30-35% across S NJ and Delmarva. S SW winds around 10mph, with isolated gusts up to 15mph are possible through the afternoon. At this time, criteria does not meet Red Flag Warning, but we will be in contact with our partners later this morning to determine if a SPS is needed.

By this weekend, we will finally see some much needed rainfall, with amounts near a quarter of an inch. This may temporarily limit the risk of fire spread until early next week.

While I have been focusing on two major wildfires including the Kanouse Fire that is still burning, I am aware that many smaller but not insignificant wildfires and brush fires have burned this week. Unfortunately, I do not have a list of these fires, but I know that they were there. New Jersey Forest Service Wildland Firefighters assisted by local fire companies, some of which are volunteers have worked these fires. With the Kanouse Fire still burning in West Milford, I am not sure of the specifics of the availability of the New Jersey Forest Fire Service's contract airplanes or the NJFFS helicopters based in northern New Jersey. 

Kudos to all the firefighters working these fires. Thanks for your sacrifice to keep us safe.

2023 New Jersey Wildfire Season: Jimmy's Waterhole Fire in Manchester Twshp (Ocean County) is fully contained

On April 12th, I wrote about the Jimmy's Waterhole Fire that burned 3,859 acres in Manchester Township, Ocean County New Jersey. The New Jersey Forest Fire Service is reporting that this fire is at 100% containment as of 10 AM on April 13th. Kudos to all the firefighters on the ground and in the air for working to contain this fire.

If you are looking for my post on the Kanouse Fire in West Milford, Passaic County NJ, please see this post.

 

2023 New Jersey Wildfire Season: Elevated Risk of Wildfires (April 13)

 Special Weather Statement

National Weather Service Mount Holly NJ
238 AM EDT Thu Apr 13 2023

DEZ001>004-MDZ012-015-019-020-NJZ001-007>010-012>027-PAZ054-055-
060>062-070-071-101>106-140000-
New Castle-Kent-Inland Sussex-Delaware Beaches-Kent MD-
Queen Annes-Talbot-Caroline-Sussex-Warren-Morris-Hunterdon-
Somerset-Middlesex-Western Monmouth-Eastern Monmouth-Mercer-Salem-
Gloucester-Camden-Northwestern Burlington-Ocean-Cumberland-
Atlantic-Cape May-Atlantic Coastal Cape May-Coastal Atlantic-
Coastal Ocean-Southeastern Burlington-Carbon-Monroe-Berks-Lehigh-
Northampton-Delaware-Philadelphia-Western Chester-Eastern Chester-
Western Montgomery-Eastern Montgomery-Upper Bucks-Lower Bucks-
Including the cities of Wilmington, Dover, Georgetown,
Rehoboth Beach, Chestertown, Centreville, Easton, Denton, Newton,
Washington, Morristown, Flemington, Somerville, New Brunswick,
Freehold, Sandy Hook, Trenton, Pennsville, Glassboro, Camden,
Cherry Hill, Moorestown, Mount Holly, Jackson, Millville,
Hammonton, Cape May Court House, Ocean City, Atlantic City,
Long Beach Island, Wharton State Forest, Jim Thorpe, Stroudsburg,
Reading, Allentown, Bethlehem, Media, Philadelphia, Honey Brook,
Oxford, West Chester, Kennett Square, Collegeville, Pottstown,
Norristown, Lansdale, Chalfont, Perkasie, Morrisville,
and Doylestown
238 AM EDT Thu Apr 13 2023

...ELEVATED RISK OF WILDFIRE SPREAD THIS AFTERNOON INTO THIS
EVENING...

A combination of low relative humidity, westerly breezes, and dry
fine fuels will lead to an elevated risk for fire spread with any
potential fire starts Thursday afternoon and evening across
eastern Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Delaware, and the eastern shores
of Maryland.

Minimum relative humidity values this afternoon will range from
22 to 26 percent across the region. Winds will be somewhat lighter
and not as gusty as the past couple of days. However, this
afternoon into early evening west winds will still be sustained 8
to 12 mph, and a brief gust to 20 mph cannot be ruled out. Fine
fuels in the form of dry or dead vegetation will be quite dry as
well, and conducive to fire starts and fairly quick fire spread.
This is particularly true in areas that have not received hardly
any rainfall in the last 10 days, across much of Pennsylvania to
northern and central New Jersey.

Residents are urged to exercise caution if handling any potential
ignition source, including machinery, cigarettes, and matches. Be
sure to properly discard all smoking materials. Any dry grasses,
dead leaves, and other tree litter that ignite will have the
potential to spread fire quickly.

For more information about wildfire danger, burn restrictions,
and wildfire prevention and eduction, please visit your state`s
forestry or environmental protection website.

2023 New Jersey Wildfire Season: Kanouse Fire, West Milford Township (Passaic County)

April 13, 4:45 PM

The New Jersey Forest Fire continues to fight the Kanouse Fire in Milford Township in Passaic County. At the time I write this, the fire has burned 400 acres. 

April 13, 11:30 AM

The New Jersey Forest Fire continues to fight the Kanouse Fire in Milford Township in Passaic County. The Kanouse Fire has burned 250 acres in rugged terrain. Route 23 North is now open but Echo Lake Road remains closed. Structures are no longer threatened. ABC 7 in New York City in New York City streamed a NJFFS press conference at 11 AM which I caught the tail end of.  ABC 7's updated report on the fire may be found here. In addition, New Jersey Advance Media reported on this fire in an April 13th late morning update that may be found here.

April 12, 9:20 PM

The New Jersey Forest Fire is fighting a second larger fire tonight, this one in Milford Township in Passaic County. The Kanouse Fire has currently burned about 140 acres and is at 0% containment. Ten structures are threatened. Route 23 Northbound and Echo Lake Road are closed near the fire.. See this article from NJ Advance Media. 

2023 New Jersey Wildfire Season: Major Wildfire in Manchester Township (Ocean County) and Fire Weather Watch

April 13, 12  PM

The Jimmy's Waterhole Fire has been contained, see my April 13th post for a report from the NJ Forest Fire Service along with some pictures.

April 12, 9 PM

The Jimmy's Waterhole Fire currently burning in Manchester Township remains at 3,859 acres with 75% containment. There are no more road closures. No injuries have been reported and no structures are threatened. Scroll down for earlier updates on this fire. Kelly Anderson of Wildfire Today reported on this fire in an April 12th post.

April 12, 4:30 PM

The Jimmy's Waterhole Fire currently burning in Manchester Township remains at 3,859 acres with 60% containment. Two Blackhawk helicopters from the New Jersey Air National Guard have been dropping on this fire. In an article just posted at 4:17 PM, New Jersey Advance Media reported on a 3 PM update from the NJ Forest Fire Service, unfortunately this excellent article is behind a paywall. I am a subscriber to the Star Ledger (a NJ Advance Media newspaper), I read that  Routes 539 and 70 remain open with only a couple of local roads remaining closed. The cause of the fire is under investigation. The NJ Forest Fire Service and Joint Base McGuire-Dix continue to fight the fire on the ground. No injuries have been reported.

This article from News12NJ is freely available and 6ABC in Philadelphia has updated their reports on the fire.

 

April 12, 10:30 AM

I listened to a 10 AM press conference where officials reported on the Jimmy's Waterhole Fire currently burning in Manchester Township, burning 3.859 acres. The New Jersey Forest Fire Service, Joint Base McQuire, and local fire companies responded to this wildfire. No injures have been reported  and no property has been damaged. The New Jersey Forest Fire Service is optimistic that containment lines will hold. See this report from 6ABC and this update from NJ Advance Media for more information.

April 12, 8:30 AM

There were several wildfires across New Jersey yesterday. The largest of these is the Jimmy's Waterhole Fire that has burned 2,500 acres as of early this morning. Evacuations were in place yesterday evening and I understand from this 6ABC report that these evacuation orders have been lifted and residents are allowed to return to their homes and Routes 70 and 539 are now open.

Here are some earlier reports on the wildfires:

• News 12 report on fires in NJ
• Asbury Park Press report on Manchester wildfire
• NJ Advance Media on Manchester wildfire

Direct link to video taken by an ABC6 helicopter from ABC6 on YouTube

This wildfire is showing up on the NWS Mt Holly NJ radar.

The National Weather Service issued the following fire weather forecast on April 12

Fire Weather Planning Forecast

National Weather Service Mount Holly NJ

405 AM EDT Wed Apr 12 2023

...FIRE WEATHER WATCH IN EFFECT FROM 11 AM EDT THIS MORNING

THROUGH THIS EVENING...

.DISCUSSION...

Southwest winds will usher a warmer and somewhat more `moist`

airmass into the region on Wednesday. That does not mean it will

not still be quite dry, from an RH standpoint. High

temperatures will be in the upper 70s to low 80s. Surface dew

points will also rise well into the 40s, though. Actually

trimmed those values back a little bit given where RH ended up

on Tuesday, and particularly the MOS and HRRR suggesting

dewpoints will not reach the upper 40s until the evening. Thus

despite the much higher dewpoints than Tuesday, with temps 5 to

8 degrees higher, MinRH values on Wednesday will range around

27 to 32 percent. Winds will be around 15 mph with 20 to 25 mph

gusts. A Fire Weather Watch is now in effect for the eastern

shores of Maryland and eastern Pennsylvania. That said, winds

may only occasionally gust to the 20 mph criteria, and RH looks

marginally near the 30% criteria, while 10-hour fuel moisture

is rumored to be somewhat marginal near 10% as well. Expect at

least an SPS will be issued for elevated fire weather conditons

for our entire area, and we will see after the morning

coordination with partners if a Red Flag Warning would be more

prudent for part of our area. In any case, all of this is

semantics to a certain degree; we had several wildfires in the

area on Tuesday, including a rather large one near Lakehurst, NJ

that continues to burn over 500 acres. While RH will be a little

higher than Tuesday, conditions will still be conducive to

wildfire starts and potentially rapid spread.

Conditions for Thursday and Friday are somewhat similar to

Wednesday. As both temperatures and dew points rise into the low

80s and upper 40s/low 50s respectively, forecast min RHs remain

steady around 30 to 35 percent for much of the region. Winds do

appear to be slightly lighter though with sustained winds

around 10 to 15 mph and gusts up to 20 mph possible Thursday.

Winds are expected to be lighter still on Friday with winds

around 10 mph. As a result, meteorological conditions for fire

weather are marginal for Thursday and Friday. A Special Weather

Statement remains possible for either day.

New Jersey Forest Fire Service: Protecting Your Home from Wildfires

Here is a Facebook post from the New Jersey Forest Fire Service with a video on the danger poised by embers from wildfires to our residences and businesses. Note their link to Firewise where you may see a checklist for protecting our homes and  detailed information about the home ignition zone (HIZ) referenced in the graphical representation of the ignition zone around our homes.

Obtained on April 10, 2023 from NJFFS Firewise Page

The NJDEP has included the Ember video that the NJFFS shared in the above Facebook post on their YouTube channel so I am sharing it below

Direct link to NJDEP video on YouTube

2023 New Jersey Wildfire Season: From the NJ Forest Fire Service about Peak Wildfire Season

 As we in New Jersey enter the peak wildfire season, the New Jersey Forest Fire Service issued a news release on April 3rd: Forest Fire Service Reminds Residents to be Careful with Fire as New Jersey Enters Peak Wildfire Season. It is worth the read, and I as a New Jersey resident do try to be mindful of what the NJFFS has written. Here are some of my take aways from this news release:

• New Jersey is experiencing more severe weather conditions including storms and drought that means a longer wildfire season.
• Residents should take steps to protect their homes, refer to Firewise for steps you can take to protect your homes. 
• New Jersey's wildfire season started early this year with 315 wildfires burning 919.75 acres through April 3rd including the 418 acres Governors Branch Wildfire in the Stafford Forge Wildlife Management Area in Ocean County.
• February was very dry, coming in at the eleventh driest since 1895.
• Most wildfires in New Jersey are caused by humans: “Ninety-nine percent of wildfires in New Jersey are caused by humans through accidents, carelessness, negligence and even arson,” said Greg McLaughlin, Administrator and Chief of the Forest Fire Service. “The Forest Fire Service works diligently with local communities to educate residents how to keep their homes ‘Firewise’ in areas with high wildfire risk.”
• There are things we can do prevent wildfires such as not disposing of cigarettes on the ground, be careful with fireplaces and wood burning stoves, thoroughly douse a camp fire, and be sure it is cold to the touch, teach children about fire safety, and keep matches and lighters away from children. See the news release for more ways we can help prevent wildfires.

2023 Wildfire Season: Brushfire in Baltimore County MD

For several years when I was a teenager and young adult I lived in Maryland and went to high school in Baltimore County, Maryland, so I when I learned of a brush fire in the Soilder's Delight Natural Environment Area in Owings Mill (Baltimore County), I knew that I wanted to write a post about this brush fire. The good news is that the brush fire that burned approximately 700 acres on April 4th was contained last night. Evacuations of 29 nearby residences were in place. This was an eight alarm fire with the assistance of the Maryland Forest Fire Service. See this April 5th report from WBAL for more information. 

The video below, also from WBAL, is a report from yesterday afternoon featuring a Baltimore County Fire Official.

Direct link to video from WBAL TV11 on YouTube

2023 Wildfire Season: March 31 Wildfires in Oklahoma

I would like to thank a good friend who gave me a heads up about the wildfire outbreak in Oklahoma on March 31st. He spoke of around 100 fires that left many houses destroyed. So, I went to see what I could find out for you.

Here is a tweet from the Oklahoma Forest Service on April 1st

#SitRep UPDATE: 97 new wildfires yesterday. Assessments ongoing. Fire danger will remain a headline through much of the week ahead especially for northern and western Oklahoma.
Read the new report here: https://t.co/IO2EqrKPno#OKWX #WildfireAware #WildfirePrevention pic.twitter.com/jaoha9E1LO

— Oklahoma Forestry Services (@OKForestService) April 1, 2023

 The report referenced in the tweet was removed by the time I accessed the link. However, I found a running account of the wildfire outbreak starting early on March 31st and ending late in the afternoon of April 1 from KOCO News 5 that may be found here. If you scroll down you can read an account of the wildfires with videos. Their last update was on April 1 at 5:40 PM, they reported

The Oklahoma Department of Emergency Management and Homeland Security released an update on the number of homes impacted in Friday's wildfires, as well as the number of injuries.

More than 30 homes were destroyed in the Simpson Road fire in Logan County. Damage assessment is still ongoing. Three homes were destroyed and three more received minor damage in the Hefner Road fire. Seven homes were destroyed in the Gap Road fire in northeast Oklahoma.

The Oklahoma State Department of Health said 32 injuries related to fires, fire weather and high winds were reported by area hospitals. (obtained on April 3, 2023, 1:55PM from https://www.koco.com/article/oklahoma-city-fire-kelley-hefner-structures/43481705)

I understand from the NWS Weather Forecast Office at Norman Oklahoma that there will be extreme fire danger in Oklahoma on Tuesday, April 4th with elevated fire danger for the rest of the week.

obtained on April 3, 2023 at 1:55 PM from https://www.weather.gov/oun/

 

The Oklahoman has some coverage last updated on March 31st at 7:26 PM on the wildfires. 

I close with two news reports from KOCO that I found on YouTube reporting the wildfire outbreak on March 31st. I believe, but am not certain that both video reports were on March 31st. The first video is during daylight hours and the second report is after night fall.

Direct link to video from KOCO on YouTube

Direct link to video from KOCO on YouTube 

 

New Jersey Forest Fire Service: Spring Prescribed Burning Season (March 31st)

 I am not in the position to know when the New Jersey Forest Fire Service will stop doing prescribed burns this spring. As the calendar changes to April tomorrow and with it a continuation of the spring wildfire season, I wonder if the prescribed burns that the New Jersey Forest Fire Service (NJFFS) conducted on March 30th and again today (March 31st) will be the last of the prescribed burns. I do monitor the NJFFS's Facebook page so if they continue with prescribed burns into April then I may know about it. 

NJ Forest Fire Service: Spring 2023 Prescribed Burning Season (March 29th)

After pausing due to rain as well as a day or two of high fire danger, the New Jersey Forest Fire Service is continuing conducting prescribed burns. I am not sure how long prescribed burns will continue this spring.

Jeffrey Scheuerer, NJ Forest Fire Service, memorial dedication on tenth anniversary of his death

 

On March 28, 2013 Jeffrey Scheuerer (District Warden, NJFFS Division A, Section 8, District 6)  died while working on prescribed burn in Round Valley Reservation (Clinton Township, Hunterdon County NJ) with other members of the NJFFS when he died from injuries sustained when he was struck by a motor vehicle. 

This is the tenth anniversary of Jeffrey’s death. There is a memorial in his honor at Round Valley Reservation that was dedicated on March 26th. To see more photos of the dedication, you may want to go the

Jeffrey, your service will not be forgotten, I remember you every time I go to Round Valley. I offer my prayers for your family, friends, members of your firefighting community and all those who loved you. May you rest in peace.

2022 Wildfire Season: Tatanka Hotshots 2022 Highlight Video

 I continue to share videos from wildfire crews here in the U.S. summarizing their 2022 wildfire season. Today I am sharing a video showcasing the Tatanka Hotshots 2022 wildfire season. The Tatanka Hotshots are based in South Dakota. Thanks to the 2022 Tatanka Hotshots for all you did to protect us from wildfires in 2022. Your service and sacrifice will not be forgotten.

The video that I share below is not associated with the U.S. National Forest Service or the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

Direct link to video on YouTube

2023 New Jersey Wildfire Season: NJ Forest Fire Service and Local First Responders Working Together

 

For the last couple of weeks I have been reflecting on the important role that first responders e.g. -- local fire companies, police, and other local first responders -- work together with wildland firefighters from the NJ Forest Fire Service in putting out wildfires. Sometimes these smaller fires are referred to as brushfires.  In many cases, the brush fire might be on the small size, from an acre or two to ten acres or so. I know that no matter the size of the brush fire that there is often a call for mutual aid from local municipalities to help the New Jersey Forest Fire Service. Or perhaps the first responder is from the local fire company where the assistance of the New Jersey Forest Fire Service is requested. 

I have been keeping my eyes open for a report of a brushfire where local firsts responders and the New Jersey Forest Fire Service responded. I found the Facebook post about the brush fire in Mansfield Township on March 21st where a brush fire was burning in heavy downed trees requiring over three hours to contain the fire. 

I sometimes fall to acknowledge the important role of these local first responders who work with the NJ Forest Fire Service. My point with this post is to give a special shout out to all the first responders (fire companies, police, and ambulance squads) who do important work on brush fires and the larger wildfires.  The larger wildfires often make the local news outlets but not so with the smaller brush fires. 

Thank-you Tri-County Volunteer Fire Company, Mansfield Township Township Fire Company, Mansfield Township Police,  and Independence First Aid Squad for the work you did yesterday in containing this brush fire and in the case of the police department and ambulance squad in supporting the firefighters.

2023 New Jersey Wildfire Season (March20th update)

Yesterday, March 19th, there was a red flag warning covering all of New Jersey for high fire danger. I spent a little time just now first checking various news media around the area as well as NJFFS social media accounts to see what wildfire activity there was yesterday. Keep in mind, that I am likely unaware of all the smaller wildfires that may have occurred, especially those covering only a few acres. I did see a Facebook post from the New Jersey Forest Fire Service about a 30 acre wildfire in Westhampton in Burlington County.

Thanks to the NJ Forest Fire Service Section B10 for letting me know about a nice report from CBS Philadelphia about yesterday's red flag warning. In this report, Greg McLaughlin from the NJ Forest Fire Service provided some information about this years 2023 wildfire season (January and February) versus the same period in 2022. Specifically, he said that through the end of February there were 119 wildfires versus 71 during the same period last year. He spoke of the significance of a warmer winter with little snow fall. Finally he talked about what homeowners can do to prevent wildfires such as not dumping grill or fireplace ashes outside. Please take a couple of minutes to watch this report.

Direct link to video on from CBS Philadelphia on YouTube

2023 New Jersey Wildfire Season: Red Flag Warning (March 19th)

 

NWS Incident Meteorogists (IMETs): Continuity of Excellence Exercise (annual training part 2)

The annual training for NWS Incident Meteorologists (IMET) aka the Continuity of Excellence Exercise continued in Boise Idaho this week, see my March 15th article for more information.

Thanks to the IMET Operations Office and Mike Archers Wildfire News of the Day for sharing an article from KTVB in Boise Idaho about the annual IMET Continuity of Excellence Exercise. IMETs save lives!

Learn more about the IMET Continuity of Excellence Exercise... https://t.co/YSTd72vEj4

— NWS IMET Operations (@NWS_IMET_OPS) March 16, 2023

NWS Incident Meteorogists (IMETs): Continuity of Excellence Exercise (annual training)

The National Weather Service (NWS) Incident Meteorologist (IMET) Operations Office is conducting their annual IMET Continuity of Excellence Exercise in Boise Idaho, annual training for IMETs. Wondering what an IMET does? According to this 2021 article on WeatherNation:

The iMet's main responsibility is to provide hyper-localized forecasts to emergency managers and first responders. Incident Meteorologists, like their National Weather Service counterparts, are using many tools according to (IMET) Mike (Ottenweller): "high resolution models, satellite, radar, whatever it is that we have, we take advantage of it, really dial it in.

Some of you might be interested in my June 2021 post "About IMETs and other fire weather services from the NWS"  where I shared a 22 minute video from the National Weather Service and the Weather Channel called Forecast Earth, Forecast the Inferno. The video is worth the time!

As I write this The IMET Continuity of Excellence Exercise is being held in person in Boise, Idaho with remote training being held next week (the week of March 20th).

 

Monday was Trainee Day at the IMET Continuity of Excellence Exercise in Boise!

We welcome 1/3 of our certified IMETs for the rest of the week starting on Tuesday, and will have remote training for the remaining 2/3 of the IMETs next week.

NOAA/NWS photo by Robert Hyatt pic.twitter.com/r99tdUXJdx

— NWS IMET Operations (@NWS_IMET_OPS) March 14, 2023

 

Tuesday at the IMET Continuity of Excellence Exercise included several interactive sessions about current and future technologies. We also practiced ways to better coordinate our weather forecasts while working to support incident management teams at wildfires. pic.twitter.com/8L795T5LUt

— NWS IMET Operations (@NWS_IMET_OPS) March 15, 2023

Dry February in New Jersey and increased wildfire danger

 I knew from my own daily rainfall observations from my rain gage (including melted snow) that February was on the dry side but it wasn’t until I saw a March 10 article by Amanda Oglesby from the  Asbury Park Press that I fully appreciated how dry it was in New Jersey, confirming my suspicions of the possibility of increased wildfire danger. 

“'Only 1.55 inches of rain and melted snow fell on the Garden State in February, which helped create a particularly dry forest in the Pine Barrens', Robinson said. It could worsen a wildfire season officials say is getting longer.

'That was the 11th driest February on record," he said. "We go back to 1895 (in years of weather records).’

Blustery, dry conditions helped fuel the wildfire in Little Egg Harbor this week, which was quickly contained by the New Jersey Forest Fire Service at 418 acres.

Fire officials also say wildfire season, which typically runs from mid-March to mid-June, has been expanding in recent years.

‘The last three, four years, we've been seeing wildfires in February and early March and mid-March," said Chief Greg McLaughlin of the New Jersey Forest Fire Service.'"We're doing prescribed burning, and yet… we're stopping, and then we're responding to wildfires.’ (Oglesby, Amanda; March 10, 2023 Asbury Park Press"

The complete version from the Dr. Davide A. Robinson, the NJ State Climatologist reviewing February 2023 weather in New Jersey may be found on this page from the Office of the New Jersey State Climatologist.

While March seems to be getting off to a wet start according to my rain gage, who knows if the faucet will turn off leading New Jersey back to a dry period as the spring wildfire season in New Jersey continues. I applaud the wildland firefighters of the New Jersey Forest Fire Service and the various firefighters from local fire departments who responded to wildfires through mutual aid. I urge homeowners in areas such as the New Jersey Pinelands that are especially prone to wildfires to take steps to protect their homes. New Jersey homeowners will find the Firewise Communities page from the NJ Forest Fire Service useful to make their home and property safer from wildfires, in particular there is a checklist of steps homeowners can take:

• Clean roofs and gutters of dead leaves, debris and pine needles that could catch embers
• Replace or repair any loose or missing shingles or roof tiles to prevent ember penetration
• Reduce embers that could pass through vents in the eaves by installing 1/8 inch metal mesh screening
• Clean debris from exterior attic vents and install 1/8 inch metal mesh screening to reduce embers
• Repair or replace damaged or loose window screens and any broken windows
• Screen or box-in areas below patios and decks with wire mesh to prevent debris and combustable materials from accumulating
• Move any flammable material away from wall exteriors - mulch, flammable plants, leaves and needles, firewood piles - anything that can burn
• Remove anything stored underneath decks or porches.

NJ Forest Fire Service: Spring 2023 Prescribed Burning Season (March 10th)

Prescribed burning season continues in New Jersey with 11 prescribed burns that were conducted around NJ on March 9th including one in Old Bridge (Middlesex County NJ). As you can see from the embedded post below from the NJ Forest Fire Service, prescribed burning continues today, March 10th.

Thanks to the NJFFS Section B10 who posts videos on various aspects of wildland firefighting on a daily basis, I learned about a nice video from CBS2 in New York City taken from one of their helicopters over a prescribed burn in Old Bridge NJ. Now, I am not certain that the footage you will see in this short video was shot on March 9th and that may not matter, it is good footage. I loved this video because I have not seen much aerial footage of a prescribed burn. I am not sure how it came to pass that the helicopter from CBS2 in New York City was over this prescribed burn. Was it intentional or luck? If it was luck and being in the right place at the right time to get this footage, kudos to Jim Smith from CBS2 or his producers for getting good information from the NJ Forest Fire Service about their prescribed burning program.

Direct link to video on YouTube from CBSNewYork reported by Jim Smith

2023 New Jersey Wildfire Season: Governors Branch Fire (Little Egg Harbor) contained: follow-up

Direct link to video from CBS3 in Philadelphia on YouTube (thanks to NJFFS Section B10 for the link)

Early yesterday afternoon, a wildfire was reported in Little Egg Harbor Township (Ocean County, NJ) that eventually burned 418 acres before being contained yesterday evening. See my second March 7th post of for more information. The wildfire was named the Governors Branch Wildfire because of its proximity to a Creek of the same name. I thought that some of you might be interested in the coverage by Fox29 Philadelphia about this fire. their article with a video may be found here, reporting that marshy areas near the fire helped in the containment. There were no injuries and no property damage. The cause of the wildfire is under investigation.

I do not know the precise location of the Governors Branch Fire, but I had enough information (I hope) to provide you with a couple of images from Google Earth. I have driven on the major road, Route 539 in that area of Little Egg Harbor Township in years past, so have an idea of the location.

The first image from Google Earth is an overview where I have marked some of the geography that I referenced in my first mid afternoon post yesterday.

Image taken from Google Earth on March 8, 2022

I then took what I hope is closer view of the area where the Governors Branch burned showing the Governors Branch Creek and other nearby waterways.

Image taken from Google Earth on March 8, 2022

2023 New Jersey Wildfire Season: wildfire in Little Egg Harbor Township contained

Earlier today I wrote about a major wildfire off of Route 539 in Little Egg Harbor Township (Ocean County NJ). I have good news to report, the NJ Forest Fire Service (NJFFS) is reporting that this fire, known as the Governor's Branch Wildfire, has been 100% contained at 418 acres. I want to thank the NJ Forest Fire Service wildland firefighters and local fire companies who provided mutual aid for a job well done on a windy day. NJFFS crews will remain on patrol through the night.

 

2023 New Jersey Wildfire Season: major fire in Little Egg Harbor Township (Ocean County)

Update on March 7 at 4:25 PM

The NJ Forest Fire Service is reporting that the fire has burned 125 acres with no containment. Sixteen structures are threatened and back firing operations are in place to aid in containment

I thank my friends at the NJFFS Section B10 for alerting me to a major fire burning off of County Route 53 in Little Egg Harbor Township New Jersey in Ocean County.

I understand from a post on the NJFFS Section B10 website (site updates frequently) that structure protection is in place with a potential to burn up to 450 acres. An incident command post has been set up at the Warren Gove Gunnery Range. 

Local news outlets reporting on this wildfire include News12 New Jersey and the Atlantic City Press.

NJ Forest Fire Service: Spring 2023 Prescribed Burning Season (March 6th)

The New Jersey Forest Fire Service (NJFFS) continues with prescribed burns. After doing prescribed burns on February 27th, we were in a rainy pattern through March 4th. I for one welcomed the rain, however the rainy period meant that, as far as I know, prescribed burns were not scheduled. Prescribed burning resumed on Sunday, March 5th with prescribed burns in Cumberland and Gloucester County (Southern NJ) and the following counties in central NJ (Monmouth and Ocean).

I believe that under normal circumstances the prescribed burning season in New Jersey is through March 15th. However, sometimes the NJFFS the may extend the prescribed burning season into late March if rain or snow or other weather led to delays in doing scheduled prescribed burns as long as fire weather is not too bad. 

Prescribed burns are scheduled for today, March 6th.

Direct link to March 6th post by the NJFFS on Facebook

About aerial firefighting in Sweden

 It is interesting how things happen. As I was out on my walk this morning I found myself thinking about aerial firefighting in other parts of the world. I know that aerial resources are used in globally with some companies such as Coulson and Conair supplying airtankers and helicopters to Australia and perhaps other countries in the southern hemisphere during their summer (our winter in northern climes). I know that countries in Europe user smaller air tankers so I was delighted to find a video from Saab in Sweden. You will hear  Éder Navacerrada discuss how aerial firefighting works in Sweden. It is not that different from what happens in the United States. But I enjoyed hearing about aerial firefighting in Sweden. You might want to go to the direct link below and read the about this video section for a little more information.

The video was uploaded two years ago is less than nine minutes, enjoy.

Direct link to video from Saab on YouTube

2022 Wildfire Season: Fire Season Highlights

When things appear to be a little quieter I am always looking for interesting wildfire videos to share with you. To that end, I was looking around YouTube just now and not quite finding what I was looking for when I came upon this video created by Forrest Moreland.  This is a highlight video from a longer video from a recent fire season. I enjoyed the videography in this video and thought you might too.

Direct link to video by Forrest Moreland on YouTube

Airtankers in action: MAFFS (2013, 2018 and 2020)

 I was thinking about MAFFS (Modular Airborne Firefighting Systems), eight C-130s from four National Guard and Air Force Reserve that are called up when needed when all contracted aircraft are in service, for more information see my April 2022 post on MAFFS. In a couple of months there should be a training for all C-130s and crews in the MAFFS program. But that did not stop me from finding a video to share with you from airailimages showcasing C-130 MAFFS in action. Recall that each C-130 MAFF is fitted with a 3,000 retardant tank. The video is a little over two minutes, enjoy. You may want to go to the direct link to the video below and read about this video for more information on what is in the video.

Direct link to video from airailimages on YouTube

New Jersey Forest Fire Service 2023 Wildfire Season and Prescribed Burns continue (February 24)

 

As the spring prescribed burning season in New Jersey continues, the New Jersey Forest Fire Service (NJFFS) has been also worked small brushfires around the State. I do not have access to number for this fire season, but I do know of some small brush fires thanks to reliable social media. These small brushfires include but are not limited to the following brushfires, thanks to the North Jersey Wildland Fire Association's Facebook page who support Division A (northern NJ) of the NJFFS. I am listing brushfires where I know that the NJFFS responded. I did not list a few other small brush fires that I saw where I did not know if the NJFFS responded. My thanks to the NJFFS for containing these small brush fires fairly quickly and in some cases before nearby residences and other structures were threatened. 

Blairstown (Warren County) NJ on February 20th, 1/4 acre

Alexandria Township (Hunterdon County) NJ on February 20, 3 acres

Pochuck Valley (Sussex County) NJ on February 16, acreage unknown

Wantage (Sussex County) NJ on February 7, 1/4 acre

Martinsville (Somerset County) NJ on February 6, acreage unknown

2022 Wildfire Season: Red River Initial Attack 2022 season

On a slightly more personal note I have been involved in purchasing my first new car in 18 years the last couple of days. Needless to say I have been slightly distracted taking care of various details prior to and just after the purchase. I continue with Subarus. Anyway, I am not here to talk about cars but I am here to continue posting about aerial wildland firefighting and related concerns. To that end, I continue with sharing videos from wildfire crews summarizing their 2022 wildfire season.

I came across a very nice video with some great fire photography from Ben Johnson summarizing the Red River Initial Attack Crew's 2022 wildfire season. I think but am not sure that this crew may be based in the northwestern United States. It does not always matter that I don't know for sure where a wildfire crew is based. The point in continuing to share these videos is both to provide folk like me with a glimpse into life on various kinds of wildland fire crews in different parts of the United States as well as my way of acknowledging and thanking a particular wildfire crew for their sacrifice in working on a wildfire crew in order to keep us as safe as possible from wildfires.

Please enjoy this video of the Red River Initial Attack Crew's 2022 wildfire season.

Direct link to video by Ben Johnson on YouTube

NJ Forest Fire Service 2023 Prescribed Burning Season (Feb 20th update)

 Today is the Presidents Day holiday here in much of the United States. While a holiday for some, it is not a holiday for members of the New Jersey Forest Fire Service who may be on call in the event a wildfire breaks out. This is also the spring prescribed burning season here in New Jersey, so wildland firefighters are conducting prescribed burns today around New Jersey. Today's prescribed burns are being conducted in Burlington (3), Cumberland (1), Mercer, (1)  Monmouth (3) , and Ocean (5) Counties. For details see the Facebook post below and click on more. 

Thank-you to the New Jersey Forest Fire Service for all you do to keep us in New Jersey safe from wildfires.

Direct link to February 20th Facebook Post from the NJ Forest Fire Service

NJ Forest Fire Service 2023 Prescribed Burning Season (February 17th Update)

I continue with the NJ Forest Fire Service spring 2023 prescribed burning season by referencing this February 10th news release from the NJ Dept of Environmental Protection (NJDEP)  discusses prescribed burns conducted by the NJFFS. The NJFFS conducts prescribed burns in the spring of each year, and sometimes in the fall, “to reduce wildfire risk and manage natural resources by burning the buildup of potential fuels such as undergrowth, leaves, branches and pine needles on forest floor.” 

In conducting prescribed the NJFFS considers 

Several climatological and environmental conditions, all of which influence a burn’s intensity and severity, are considered when conducting prescribed burns to accomplish various resource and ecological objectives, such as reducing hazard fuels and managing habitats. The Forest Fire Service and Division of Air Quality work together to assess wind speed, humidity and temperature and to determine the best days to conduct prescribed burning. Other factors considered include the density and arrangement of the vegetation being burned. ... In 2022, the Forest Fire Service completed prescribed burns on 11,925 acres of state-owned lands, 3,363 acres of other government-owned land and 1,694 acres of privately owned property, for a total of 16,982 acres. (NJDEP February 10, 2023 News release)

For additional information on the NJFFS prescribed burning program please refer to the news release from the NJDEP.

As I wrote on February 8th, the spring prescribed burning season began in early February. In order to keep informed I signed up for text and email alerts from the NJFSS  . The NJFFS also has a facebook page where you may find information on current prescribed burns. In addition, the NJFFS implemented a prescribed fire dashboard in 2022  where you may find information on current active and scheduled prescribed burns.

In the last week, the NJFFS has conducted prescribed burns around the state in Burlington, Cumberland, Camden, Gloucester, Atlantic, Ocean, Morris, Somerset, Hunterdon, and Sussex Counties. Prescribed burns are conducted weather permitting and scheduled burns may be postponed if the weather conditions are not favorable. As I write this, there is light rain in my area and we had some light rain yesterday. I have not yet received any notifications about prescribed burns scheduled for today, February 17th.

2022 Wildfire Season: Stanislaus Hotshots 2022 Season

 I will be posting more in a couple of days or so on the prescribed burns that the New Jersey Forest Fire Service are conducting in New Jersey. In the meantime as I will be busy most of the day visiting a good friend I will continue posting videos from wildfire crews summarizing their 2022 season. Today I am sharing a video by Riley Yuan with highlights from the Stanislaus Hotshots 2022 season. I enjoyed this video getting a peak in to what life is like for the Stanislaus Hotshots in action and during important downtime to refresh and recharge. 

March 3, 2023 update. I did enjoy this video, unfortunately this video is no longer available, but I do want to thank the Stanislaus Hotshots for the work they did during the 2022 fire season to protect us from wildfires.

Direct link to video by Riley Yuan on YouTube

2022 Wildfire Season: Wyoming Hotshots 2022 Season

I continue sharing 2022 season summary videos from wildland fire crews. Today I am sharing a short but very nice video from the Wyoming Hotshots. The Wyoming Hotshots are based in the Medicine Wheel Ranger District of the Bighorn National Forest, here is their Facebook page. I have seen references for a webpage for the Wyoming Hotshots but it did not look like an active website to me. I like this short video summarizing the Wyoming Hotshot crew's 2022 season because you see the crew working fires, playing, and taking a meal break. 

Direct link to video from Jake Lang on YouTube