After brush fires, fire warning issued Sunday http://t.co/r5JyWgKDxg via @OglesbyAPP pic.twitter.com/356WmBEnd9
— Asbury Park Press (@AsburyParkPress) April 6, 2015
UPDATE 9:45 a.m. MDT Wednesday:
Two firefighters were injured while fighting a small brush fire in New Jersey early this week, New Jersey news outlets reported on Wednesday.
Details about the firefighters injuries were not released; both were hospitalized. Officials said that the 21 acre brush fire — which triggered evacuations and damaged two homes — was started on Monday afternoon when a local homeowner dropped a blow torch.
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Original story:
A New Jersey brush fire that sent up heavy smoke on Sunday was one of many that hit the eastern state during a weekend of high fire danger.
Smoke from the fire near Tewksbury blanketed suburban neighborhoods, the Hunterton County Democrat reported on Sunday. Fire crews from three counties responded to the blaze, which had burned the deck and the porch of at least two homes.
Over the weekend, the state saw a spate of small brush fires. The state has remained on alert for high fire danger, with high winds and low humidities into Monday, the Asbury Park Press reported. At least five central New Jersey cities reported brush fires over the weekend.
Active wildfire seasons tend to follow heavy winters in New Jersey, firefighters told the newspaper last week. Severe winter weather stalled the local forest service’s prescribed burns, typically a crucial element to managing fire danger in the heavily wooded state.
There should have been at least one SEAT on that fire, But after over 40 years of having SEATs, the NJ Forester and Treasury hasn’t awarded a contract. This is a disservice to us firefighters in the field, and to say the least dangerous. We have been told they are going to use a Helicopter and bucket as initial attack in place of SEATs. When the Helo is available.
Wait a minute. I thought the east coast was buried under record amounts of snow! The effect of climate change on weather is all about extremes and I guess this is just another example.