OT: Is a Catastrophic CA-Level Wildfire Coming to NJ? Experts Say Yes—and the State Isn't Ready.

[RUforester72]

https://www.fireengineering.com/fir...-nj-experts-say-yes-and-the-state-isnt-ready/

Article from the National Assn of State Foresters. I had never read this account of the big fire near Barnegat last year. As usual, fire was started by idiots. We just had a fire within the city limits of Redmond Oregon started by a landowner shooting his .22 rifle at exploding targets! We Are doomed!

 

[Knight Shift]

https://www.fireengineering.com/fir...-nj-experts-say-yes-and-the-state-isnt-ready/

Article from the National Assn of State Foresters. I had never read this account of the big fire near Barnegat last year. As usual, fire was started by idiots. We just had a fire within the city limits of Redmond Oregon started by a landowner shooting his .22 rifle at exploding targets! We Are doomed!

From my ultra-local perspective of South Monmouth on the border of Ocean County, the article feels a bit exaggerated. Further South, into the Pine Barrens, there are a lot more homes surrounded by a lot more woods.

Back in the 1980s the department I serve on had an old Army surplus 6 wheel drive independent suspension "woods" fire truck that saw a lot of action. Fires along the Garden State Parkway were quite normal and could be challenging. We no longer have the Army surplus vehicle, and we have a small brush truck. The number of brush fires now pales in comparison to the 1980s.

2025 was an extremely bad year in part because of that large fire near Barnegat. One thing that fire did was reduce the amount of controlled burning that is done annually in the Spring. Tried to look up stats for first half of 2026, but could not find them. Willing to guess that the amount of acreage burned is much lower than in 2025.

In our immediate area, the State does a nice job with controlled burns in the Woods and fields in our area.

From the article:
“There’s only so much 60 guys and gals can do,” then-Gov. Phil Murphy said bluntly during a February 2025 roundtable on wildfires that revealed deficiencies in the state’s preparation.
But 1,400 part-time firefighters can be called into service for wildfires, state fire officials say. However, most municipal fire departments are not specifically trained or equipped to fight wildfires in New Jersey, unlike other fire-prone states across the country."

The departments surround us each have brush trucks, and many have water tankers. For Monmouth/Northern Ocean, where many of the wooded areas have been developed, things seem under control.

Further South- different story.

You have a much better background than I do--it's been such a long time since I have been on a large woods/brush fire, I can't remember the last time I was in the woods for a fire.

 

[ScarletDave]

I visited Yellowstone in 2016 after they had just had one of their largest ever fires there. Tons of burnt forests all around. They had an exhibit on it in the visitor center which we attended. I learned a lot there, including that forest fires are actually healthy for the earth - a way of nature cleansing itself of old and fertilizing the soil. That if they are put out too soon or tried to stop it will only delay and make much worse the eventual fire. That the solutions are controlled burns and also homes being accessible that choose to be in dense forest land.

Part of what made the CA fire in Malibu so devastating is the landscape - (besides there not being enough public water to fight it), so hard to get enough water pumped upwards to the top of the hills there, and also the homes so close together and lots of burnable greenery. NJ doesnt really have any place like that geography, maybe Wachung.

If there is ever a fire in the pine barrens, the issue will be similar to the Canadian wildfires where some parts are so remote and not accessible by roads thus making fire trucks or fighting using water by land almost impossible. The good news is it’s much closer to water sources as in the Atlantic Ocean, for air team drops, compared to the remote parts of Canada, where a lot of these fires are which are in the center of the continent.

 

[Bueller]

SURPRISE - France arrests dozens of arsonists

France reports 162 arrests over suspected wildfire arson amid record fire season​

Security forces ‘fully mobilized’ to identify suspected ‘arsonists,’ interior minister says

https://www.aa.com.tr/en/europe/france-reports-162-arrests-over-suspected-wildfire-arson-amid-record-fire-season/4010767

 

[Caliknight]

So called "climate change" causing wildfires is just bunch of theater kids with lighter and kerosene.

 

[Caliknight]

Yes, because all the crazies screaming "duh climate change" after the LA fires only to have an arsonist arrested lol.

Don't be so easily triggered. It's no way to go through life, gunk.

 

[koleszar]

https://www.fireengineering.com/fir...-nj-experts-say-yes-and-the-state-isnt-ready/

Article from the National Assn of State Foresters. I had never read this account of the big fire near Barnegat last year. As usual, fire was started by idiots. We just had a fire within the city limits of Redmond Oregon started by a landowner shooting his .22 rifle at exploding targets! We Are doomed!

New Jersey does a pretty good job with prescribed burning. California does absolute d*ck compared to us on forest management.

 

[Caliknight]

New Jersey does a pretty good job with prescribed burning. California does absolute d*ck compared to us on forest management.

When I first moved here 30 years ago I used to controlled burns and bush clearing all the time. Now? Haven’t seen one in probably 10 years plus. It’s almost like they want the place to burn.

 

[T2Kplus20]

When I first moved here 30 years ago I used to controlled burns and bush clearing all the time. Now? Haven’t seen one in probably 10 years plus. It’s almost like they want the place to burn.

So they can seize private property after it is destroyed.

 

[RU#1fan]

Other than some sporadic fires in the Pine Barrens No.

 

[Rutgers Chris]

Help is on its way

 

[Bueller]

Authorities arrest arson suspect in connection with one of the devastating Spokane wildfires​

Authorities arrest arson suspect in connection with one of the devastating Spokane wildfires

Several fires are burning in the area, destroying at least 700 structures and forcing roughly 67,000 people to evacuate.

apnews.com

 

[Caliknight]

So not so called global warming. Good to know.

 

[Bueller]

So not so called global warming. Good to know.

I've seen droughts for decades and poor forest management is nothing that new. Yet only the last three years in a row we get Canadian smoke from massive fires in areas buried in snow for months

"On July 16 alone, the Canadian Wildland Fire Information System reported 94 new fires started across Canada. Of these, 35 were started by human action, 38 by natural causes and 21 by undetermined sources. Natural wildfires usually start from lightning strikes in forest areas."

 

[Caliknight]

I've said it before but I've lived in SoCal for 30 years. I used to see the state routinely doing controlled burns and brush clearing. Which is the number one strategy to mitigate fires around the city/county. I've not seen one in probably 10 years. I live in a canyon. Chubb dropped us from fire 6 years or so go. They asked if our neighbor would clear brush. We got them to. Chubb came back and pointed to the canyon and said what about that? Well, the state owns that and they aren't clearing. You know, animals live there.

Thanks for playing. Good luck.

 

[MADHAT1]

When the the Forrest is dry , fires start more easily be it man made , natural causes or any reason.
Droughts caused by temperatures increasing and reduced snowpack leave soils dry for longer periods,making dried-out wood and leaves act as fuel, increasing the frequency, size, and severity of fires.
Over the last 20 years, the frequency and intensity of 'extreme forest fires' have more than doubled worldwide, while the overall area of tree cover burned annually has increased significantly

 

[Caliknight]

SoCal fires aren't forest fires. They are brush fires easily controlled via proven methods.

SoCal had record rainfall in 2025. There was no drought. The bigger issue is here even after all this time, over 90% of the rainwater we do get flows right out into the ocean. Drug addicts need needles though, so priorities.

California is letting billions of gallons of stormwater wash out to sea each year, report finds

When it comes to stormwater capture, California stands out for "untapped potential," according to the Pacific Institute.

www.latimes.com

 

[DJ Spanky]

I've seen droughts for decades and poor forest management is nothing that new. Yet only the last three years in a row we get Canadian smoke from massive fires in areas buried in snow for months

"On July 16 alone, the Canadian Wildland Fire Information System reported 94 new fires started across Canada. Of these, 35 were started by human action, 38 by natural causes and 21 by undetermined sources. Natural wildfires usually start from lightning strikes in forest areas."

As I understand it apparently one of the main issues is that these fires are happening in areas so remote that they can't get the necessary equipment in place to actually fight these fires.

 

[DJ Spanky]

I've said it before but I've lived in SoCal for 30 years. I used to see the state routinely doing controlled burns and brush clearing. Which is the number one strategy to mitigate fires around the city/county. I've not seen one in probably 10 years. I live in a canyon. Chubb dropped us from fire 6 years or so go. They asked if our neighbor would clear brush. We got them to. Chubb came back and pointed to the canyon and said what about that? Well, the state owns that and they aren't clearing. You know, animals live there.

And don't forget that the state has more important things to do, like building a $100million+ overpass so lonely cougars can get into and out of LA.

 

[MADHAT1]

SoCal fires aren't forest fires. They are brush fires easily controlled via proven methods.

SoCal had record rainfall in 2025. There was no drought. The bigger issue is here even after all this time, over 90% of the rainwater we do get flows right out into the ocean. Drug addicts need needles though, so priorities.

California is letting billions of gallons of stormwater wash out to sea each year, report finds

When it comes to stormwater capture, California stands out for "untapped potential," according to the Pacific Institute.

www.latimes.com

True California's rain is helping immensely and poor fire management can be accused when the brush fires get out of hand
But Washington and Oregon are experiencing significant drought conditions in 2026 and the fires in those states are wildfire/forest-fires not brush fires ,with over 2 million acres burned across Oregon and Washington this year.

Severe drought conditions across Canada in 2026 that severely dried out forests and vegetation made the wildfires there a real bad problem

 

[Bueller]

As I understand it apparently one of the main issues is that these fires are happening in areas so remote that they can't get the necessary equipment in place to actually fight these fires.

I would think that was always true no? How remote are these areas that the Hamptons are filled with smoke lol. When I look at the fire map from NASA it looks like the more remote, northern areas are mostly ok.

 

[RU848789]

https://www.fireengineering.com/fir...-nj-experts-say-yes-and-the-state-isnt-ready/

Article from the National Assn of State Foresters. I had never read this account of the big fire near Barnegat last year. As usual, fire was started by idiots. We just had a fire within the city limits of Redmond Oregon started by a landowner shooting his .22 rifle at exploding targets! We Are doomed!

Interesting article, thanks. While I think wildfires can certainly get worse in NJ, based on climate change and lack of preparation/training, the one thing we have going for us is that we simply don't get extended periods of very low humidity and high winds that states out west get, which are usually required to fuel devastating out-of-control wildfires. Not saying a far worse wildfire than we've ever seen in NJ is impossible, just less likely than out west.

On another note, though, anyone who doesn't think global warming is real is simply not understanding the science. The Earth's global average temperature has gone up 1.5C/2.7F since the 1880's (see the video in the link below) with most of that increase over the last 50 years as industrialization and greenhouse gas generation accelerates, with atmospheric CO2 now reaching levels not seen for over 800,000 years (graphic below). It's not a coincidence that the earth's atmosphere contains far more CO2 and that the planet is seeing unprecedented rates of increase in temps in both the air and the oceans. And one of the outcomes of this level of warming is that the Pacific NW now sees far more critical fire weather days now than they saw even just ~50 years ago (graphic below). And the same is true for Canada, California, Europe where record wildfires are raging, and elsewhere. This is the new normal.

https://www.facebook.com/reel/2792697504442820

 

[koleszar]

Interesting article, thanks. While I think wildfires can certainly get worse in NJ, based on climate change and lack of preparation/training, the one thing we have going for us is that we simply don't get extended periods of very low humidity and high winds that states out west get, which are usually required to fuel devastating out-of-control wildfires. Not saying a far worse wildfire than we've ever seen in NJ is impossible, just less likely than out west.

On another note, though, anyone who doesn't think global warming is real is simply not understanding the science. The Earth's global average temperature has gone up 1.5C/2.7F since the 1880's (see the video in the link below) with most of that increase over the last 50 years as industrialization and greenhouse gas generation accelerates, with atmospheric CO2 now reaching levels not seen for over 800,000 years (graphic below). It's not a coincidence that the earth's atmosphere contains far more CO2 and that the planet is seeing unprecedented rates of increase in temps in both the air and the oceans. And one of the outcomes of this level of warming is that the Pacific NW now sees far more critical fire weather days now than they saw even just ~50 years ago (graphic below). And the same is true for Canada, California, Europe where record wildfires are raging, and elsewhere. This is the new normal.

https://www.facebook.com/reel/2792697504442820

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And COVID came from a monkey too, right? Is this the same science?