Special Weather Statement National Weather Service Mount Holly NJ 113 AM EDT Tue Apr 23 2024 DEZ001>004-MDZ012-015-019-020-NJZ001-007>010-012>027-PAZ054-055- 060>062-070-071-101>106-232200- 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- Northampt ..read more

Last week, I missed the Facebook post from the NJ Forest Fire Service that on April 15th there were more than 20 wildfires along train tracks, sparked by a passing train, in Winslow Township, Camden County NJ. The fires were contained. A SEAT with a 600 gallon tank and an observation helicopter flew the fire per this NJ Forest Fire Service Facebook post. By the end of that same day, the NJ Forest Fire Service most of these wildfires were contained.  CBS3 in Philadelphia reported on these wildfires here. New Jersey Advance Media also had a report on the fire. Patch in Gloucester Township ..read more

I always enjoy watching videos of SEATs. Enjoy this 2016 video from airrailimages of SEATs during early spring checkouts in advance of going on contract for the 2016 wildfire season. Direct link to video from airrailimages on YouTube ..read more

 I knew about the Empty Sky Memorial in Liberty State Park, NJ but had not visited the Park in 15 years. Yesterday I went to the Park with a friend to refresh ourselves on how to get there for an upcoming trip. To say I was moved by seeing the Empty Sky Memorial, New Jersey's memorial to those with ties to New Jersey who died in the September 11th attack on the World Trad Center is an understatement. I live in western Hudson County for sixteen years where I saw the World Trade Center every day, I move a few months before the attacks. For reasons I can not quite explain I felt like I had t ..read more

As April began, Coulson Aviation and Neptune Aviation and continued spring maintenance of their air tankers as the following embedded (posts with photos) from their Facebook page show. I expect that other air tanker and helicopter operators who fly wildfires are also conducting spring maintenance that are not mentioned here. Neptune Aviation Services Coulson Aviation ..read more

I have posted on other occasions about the network of 21 fire towers around the State that are staffed when conditions are ripe for wildfires. For a description of the each fire tower and to learn more about the importance of fire towers in detecting wildfires in NJ go to the Detection page on the NJ Forest Fire Service web page. Obtained on April 11, 2024 from https://www.nj.gov/dep/parksandforests/fire/program/detection.html As we in New Jersey are currently in the spring wildfire season these fire towers will be staffed as necessary. Speaking of the wildfire season in New Jer ..read more

11 AM Following up on my April 9th post where I first reported on the Old Mine Fire, the fire continues to burn in the Worthington State Forest in the Delaware Water Gap remaining at 30 acres burned this morning with containment increasing to 75 percent. Old Mine Road remains closed. According to the New Jersey Forest Fire Service, two wildland firefighters were treated yesterday at the scene for heat related injuries and released. The NJFFS also reports that the incident commander flew an observation flight in a NJFFS helicopter this morning and the acreage burned by the fire is not expected ..read more

The New South Wales Rural Fire Service in Australia is sending their 737 Large Air Tanker "Marie Bashier" to California where she will first undergo annual maintenance by Coulson Aviation at their Palm Springs Facility before being deployed to assist Cal Fire in their upcoming fire season. See the comments in the embedded Facebook post from the NSW Rural Fire Service for more information about Coulson's contract for maintenance of the Marie Bashir. Thanks to the NSW Rural Fire Service for sending the Marie Bashir to help my friends in California this season ..read more

  5:40 PM There is a small wildfire known as the Old Mine Fire burning near Old Mine Rd in Worthington State Forest in the Delaware Water Gap, see the image from Google Earth below. An 800 gallon tanker and an observation helicopter were on the scene this afternoon with the tanker making drops on the fire. The map shows the location of Old Mine Road, not the location of the wildfire.  Old Mine Road starts at Interstate 80 just before it crosses into Pennsylvania and runs north along the Delaware River. According to the NJ Forest Fire Service it may be caused by humans. There was a pr ..read more

As weather and other conditions have allowed, the New Jersey Forest Fire Service continues with doing prescribed burns. A prescribed burn is planned for today in northern New Jersey (Division A): Recent prescribed burns were done on March 30th March 26th  ..read more