Fire Rescue News - As temperatures continue to raise, more wildfires could be in the forecast for parts of southern N.J.
By SARAH WATSON Staff Writer | Posted: Wednesday, July 7, 2010 | 0 comments
As southern New Jersey baked in the oven-like heat for a fourth day Wednesday, state forest fire officials are concerned that the ongoing dryness could fuel forest fires.
The National Weather Service issued a red flag warning until......Continue Reading
10 p.m. Wednesday, saying the combination of high temperatures, dry air and moderate winds could create explosive wildfire growth.
Now, with flora particularly dehydrated, the state Forest Fire Service is on high alert, patrolling fire prone areas and making sure both air and ground forces are constantly available.
“There’s a lot more things available to burn than there would be normally,” division fire warden Bill Edwards said. “Grasses, fine fields, they’re all just dried up and dead. Normally, if we’d be having showers that kind of fuel would be green and full of moisture and wouldn’t burn as well. That’s why we go out of fire season, because things green up.”
At Atlantic City International Airport, the temperature peaked at 98 degrees Wednesday, tying a record set in 1986. The temperature has been above 90 degrees since Sunday and it last rained June 29, according to the National Weather Service. Since June 1, 1.72 inches of rain have fallen, half of what usually falls during that period. But because of the heavy snow and rain this winter, yearly rainfall still is 3.57 inches above normal, according to the weather service.
Today’s forecast calls for highs in the lower 90s with a slight chance for thunderstorms, and Friday’s forecast calls for a high of about 90, said National Weather Service forecaster Mark DeLisi. “Assuming that forecast is not too cool, then I’d assume Friday would be the last day” for the heat wave.
Atlantic City Electric asked customers Wednesday to conserve energy and warned of potential brownouts. Spokeswoman Sandra May said power use was exceeding the summer average, but wasn’t nearing the record of 3,009 megawatts per hour set in August 2006.
The weather service also issued a heat advisory for Atlantic and Cape May counties, and counties to the west around Philadelphia were under an excessive heat warning again.
The lack of rain and extreme heat is what sparked Department of Environmental Protection Commissioner Bob Martin to ask residents statewide to voluntarily conserve water. Reservoirs and groundwater supplies are adequate for now, but Martin said in a press release that current weather patterns could last.
Water use in Cape May and Atlantic counties reached record levels Monday, New Jersey American Water spokesman Peter Eschbach said. On a typical July day, customers in those two counties use 27.8 million gallons of water, but Monday when the high temperature reached 99 degrees at Atlantic City International Airport, customers used 35.7 million gallons, Eschbach said.
This weekend, the company had to impose mandatory restrictions in Monmouth County because people were using water faster than it could be pumped into tanks — which lowered water pressure, Eschbach said.
“We’re not in any situation like that in Atlantic County or Cape May County,” he said. “But having said that, I want to emphasize that it’s that time of year. It’s hot. It’s always a good time to conserve water. We don’t want anyone wasting it. We want people to be using water wisely.”
The National Drought Mitigation Center now lists all of New Jersey and a large swath of the mid-Atlantic and lower Northeast as abnormally dry because of the heat and lack of rain that allowed water in topsoil to evaporate significantly.
While no major wildfires were reported in the state Wednesday, 72 fires were reported over the weekend, mostly sparked by illegal fireworks, Edwards said. There were no major burns in the state on Wednesday, but several acres burned in Lakewood Township, Ocean County. More than 1,000 acres burned recently at Fort Dix.
Normally, peak fire season is in the spring and fall, when temperatures remain high but foliage is sparse, making forests like fields of kindling. Edwards said there are fears the fire season could spread through the summer.
The sign at the entrance to Bass River State Forest’s campground announced Stage 2 fire restrictions: no fires on the ground, only on raised grills or propane stoves, as of Tuesday.
The new rule came in the middle of Melanie Petro’s and Brian Dougherty’s trip, which began Saturday and will end this Friday.
“We’re not following that,” Dougherty said of the restriction, pointing to a recently used ground-level fire pit with a circular iron wall.
Dougherty, Petro and her two young sons have been making fires every day and night, cooking food on the raised grill permanently installed near their cabin and making larger fires in the ring for light.
“It’s contained, it’s not just on the ground. We don’t think that’s what they’re talking about,” said Petro, 31, of Hamilton in Mercer County.
“At night, it’s pitch black. You’ve got to have a fire going to see, to keep away the animals,” said Dougherty, 38, of Princeton. “If they say anything, I guess we’ll have to stop.”
At Parvin State Park in Elmer, Salem County, a note taped to the door of the information booth instructed campers they could not build campfires on the ground.
The campground was mostly empty except for two tents and a couple of occupied cabins. After being packed this holiday weekend the excessive heat had driven many people away.
Ryan Ashlin and Leah Bland arrived Saturday, built a fire and even needed extra blankets when the sun went down. It got hot and stayed hot after that and on Monday, Rangers told Ashlin, 25, of Bridgeton, no more ground fires until it rains again.
“We wanted to have s’mores over the campfire but we couldn’t so we made them over the grill instead,” Bland, 22, of Lawrence Township, said. “But, what else can you expect? It’s summer, it’s supposed to be hot.”
Staff writers Lee Procida, Eric Scott Campbell and Edward Van Embden contributed to this report.
Contact Sarah Watson: 609-272-7216 swatson@pressofac.com
