NJ Spotlight News
Climate change blamed for more fire-risk days in NJ
Clip: 5/30/2023 | 4m 35sVideo has Closed Captions
Four more fire-risk days in South Jersey, 10 more in the north
Firefighters in New Jersey have seen the wildfire season start sooner and last longer because of climate change. According to new data from Princeton-based Climate Central, New Jersey has more fire-risk weather each year compared to 50 years ago -- four more days in South Jersey and 10 more days in north Jersey.
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NJ Spotlight News is a local public television program presented by THIRTEEN PBS
NJ Spotlight News
Climate change blamed for more fire-risk days in NJ
Clip: 5/30/2023 | 4m 35sVideo has Closed Captions
Firefighters in New Jersey have seen the wildfire season start sooner and last longer because of climate change. According to new data from Princeton-based Climate Central, New Jersey has more fire-risk weather each year compared to 50 years ago -- four more days in South Jersey and 10 more days in north Jersey.
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Learn Moreabout PBS online sponsorshipCrews are making progress on a wildfire that broke out Monday night in Gloucester County.
The fire is burning in White Oaks wildlife management area in Franklin and Monroe townwships.
The latest update from the State Forest Fire Service says it's grown to more than 150 acres, but is now 100% contained.
And no structures were threatened.
The South Jersey incident is just the latest in a string of wildfires.
New Jersey is experiencing this spring as the season expands and officials struggle to find enough resources to respond.
Ted Goldberg reports.
We have some basil sprouting of this pine tree so after the fire comes through, the pine cones open up and the seeds fall on the forest floor.
Life is bouncing back in the woods outside Manchester.
Nearly seven weeks after the Jimmy's Waterhole fire torched, nearly 4000 acres of forests have in the fire gone through.
Recently, there's no competition.
So those seeds Germany and new life comes.
The fire started at Joint Base McGuire, Dix, Lakehurst, and spread quickly.
The state's Forest Fire Service hope to stop it here at Jimmy's waterhole.
Hence the name.
New Jersey.
Springtime weather gave the fire ideal conditions to spread, though the Forest Fire Service had the flames fully contained in two days.
There weren't any serious injuries reported.
And the worst property damage reported was done to fences and boats.
The sun is out.
It's warm that time.
Of year, but there's still no leaves on the trees.
There's that suns hitting the barren forest floor, preheating the fuels, the fuels being your pine needles and leaves And when that errant ignition starts or fire or what have you, that fire spreads quickly because it's dry.
It's windy, low humidity.
New Jersey's peak wildfire season ran from mid-March to mid-May, and the service expects fewer wildfires over the next few months.
Summer, it's typically more humid and more rainy.
So we actually have less fires in the summer.
Because of that, you have higher humidity.
All the trees have leaves on them and it just takes a little bit longer to dry out.
But the last couple of years, we've had drier summers.
Hence we've had a couple big wildfires.
Firefighters have seen the wildfire season start sooner and last longer because of climate change, according to new data from Princeton based Climate Central.
The Garden State experiences more fire risk weather each year compared to 50 years ago.
Ten more days in North Jersey and four more days in South Jersey.
We're getting those warmer days more often and so fire seasons just a little bit earlier.
And then we get these couple of weeks of dry weather.
And in New Jersey, it only takes just a good few days of dry weather for us to have wildfires.
One of the companies that responded to this fire was the Lakehurst Volunteer Fire Company.
Assistant Fire Chief Bob Morris says his station has also responded to more House fires over the last few years.
Rooms flashover a lot quicker than they did.
The materials that are burning are a lot different.
The construction is different.
Lakehurst population has hovered around 3000 people since the seventies, but the number of volunteer firefighters has dwindled from 40 plus, with a waiting list now down to eight or so.
Morris says it's become difficult to recruit and retain firefighters.
We used to have a big military population here in town and so the numbers were up because we had a lot of military people involved.
We have to military today.
The state requirements are a lot more stringent than they were decades ago.
And I know that's one of the things that keeps people from joining.
Morris says it's a tricky situation for smaller stations like his because cutting training might lead to problems down the line.
He says local leaders have been helpful.
It's just a matter of bringing in bodies.
The governing body is extremely supportive financially.
With this organization, we have good equipment.
We have what we need to function.
We just need people.
Morris has floated borrowing an idea from Pennsylvania, creating separate qualifications for interior firefighters and exterior firefighters, which could cut down training time for someone to become an exterior firefighter.
In the meantime, Lakehurst firefighters are on the call for any local house fires and any large wildfire that could threaten those homes in Ocean County.
I'm Ted Goldberg NJ Spotlight News
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