New Jersey Forest Fire Service unveils new tower to help fight wildfires
New Jersey has entered peak wildfire season, and after a snowy and cold winter, the New Jersey Forest Fire Service is racing to perform prescribed burns across the state to reduce forest fuels that increase wildfire dangers.
The Garden State is experiencing dry conditions, but officials now have a new tool to help prevent a major wildfire from spreading — a new fire tower.
"Our claim to fame is the early detection and rapid response, so early detection starts in these fire towers," New Jersey Forest Fire Service Chief Bill Donnelly said.
On Wednesday, the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection and the Forest Fire Service dedicated the Veteran's Fire Tower in Jackson Township.
"From the vantage point, the tower will help protect more than 516,000 residents and 200,000 homes in Ocean and Monmouth counties," Acting NJDEP Commissioner Ed Potosnak said.
It's the first time in 78 years a fire tower has been built in the Garden State. It's 133 feet tall, and at the very top, the observer is able to see about 15- 20 miles in the distance. Officials say more than 50% of wildfires are first spotted up in the tower.
"All day you're looking for smoke and what the smoke is doing for the guys on the ground," said Justin Sauers, who will be stationed in the new tower. "When you're under the column, there's not really a lot you can see other than the fire itself, and it's on us to determine what the winds are changing what the fire is doing and giving them an overall view of the fire itself."
According to the NJ Forest Fire Service, on average, 1,100 wildfires burn about 5,000 acres each year in the state.
Now, officials say they will be conducting more prescribed burns over the next few weeks, and there will be more eyes in the sky to help respond to the first signs of smoke.