New Jersey's Fire Season Extends Year-Round Amid Dry Conditions
New Jersey's fire season, which officially ended in May, appears to be ongoing as dry conditions and high temperatures persist. Bill Donnelly, warden of the state's forest-fire service, noted that fire activity has become a year-round concern. On a recent day in Jackson Township, Donnelly climbed the state's newest fire tower, the first built since 1948, to monitor conditions. The tower, one of 21 in the state, offers a 20-mile view and is equipped with traditional tools like an alidade for precise fire location tracking. Despite advancements, the service continues to rely on manual observation and radio communication to detect and manage fires. A wildfire at Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst was under control, but new smoke was spotted during the observation, prompting immediate action.