The New Jersey Forest Fire Service erected the "Four Mile Tower", a simple tripod of wooden poles, in 1910. It was replaced by the Lebanon Station.[1]

In order to aid its efforts in wildland fire suppression and fire protection, the New Jersey Forest Fire Service operates a system of 21 fire towers at locations throughout the state of New Jersey in the United States.[2] From these fire towers, using an instrument called the Osborne Fire Finder, or an alidade, and topographical maps, trained fire observers are able to spot and triangulate the location of possible wildfires. After ascertaining the location, the observer will file a "smoke report" which will be investigated and appropriate action taken by a local firewarden.[2]

Founded in 1906, the New Jersey Forest Fire Service is the largest firefighting department within New Jersey and is an agency within the New Jersey Division of Parks and Forestry, a division of the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection. With 85 full-time professional firefighters (career civil service positions), and approximately 2,000 trained part-time on-call wildland firefighters throughout the state, its mission is to protect "life and property, as well as the state's natural resources, from wildfire."[3] The agency covers a primary response area of 3,719,638 acres (1,505,284 ha) comprising 77% of the state's land area and administered by three regional divisions. This primary response area includes the state's rural and suburban areas, as well as its public state parks and forests. In 2014, the New Jersey Forest Fire Service responded to 1,063 wildfire events that destroyed 6,692 acres (2,708 ha). The service conducted controlled burns or prescribed burns on 15,326 acres (6,202 ha) statewide.[4]

The first fire lookout towers were often privately constructed during the late nineteenth century—many by large-tract landowners or corporations. However, after the creation of the Forest Fire Service, the state began erecting towers—some temporary, others permanent. The oldest erected by the Forest Fire Service that is in continuing operation is Culvers Station (then called the Normanook Fire Tower), first used in 1908, along the ridge of Kittatinny Mountain near Culver's Lake and the Culver's Gap.[a] Many of the state's fire towers were built during the Great Depression by the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC). More were erected during World War II, to aid both the Forest Fire Service and to the Aircraft Warning Service, operating from mid-1941 to mid-1944, in which fire observers were assigned additional duty as enemy aircraft spotters. During World War II, the Lakewood Station was "used to listen to German U-boat communications in the Atlantic Ocean 12 miles to the east".[6] Fire towers are located at key points of observation and on diverse terrain from northern New Jersey's mountain-and-valley terrain to the comparatively flat and low-elevation coastal plains in the south and central sections of the state. Today, these 21 towers provide New Jersey an inexpensive and effective first response system that aids the New Jersey Forest Fire Service in quickly suppressing and in preventing damage caused by reported wildfires. The Forest Fire Service estimates that 25 percent of wildfires within the state every year are first spotted by a lookout.[7]

A number of these fire towers are listed on the National Historic Lookout Register.

List of fire towers

Fire towers in active service

US# NJ# Image Tower Name Elevation Height NJFFS Division
Sections covered[8] 		Location of tower County Notes
44 1 Culvers Station
(previously Normanook Fire Tower)		 1,509 feet (460 m) 47 feet (14 m) Div. A
Sec. A1 (PA,NY)		 Stokes State Forest,
Sandyston Township
41°11.270′N 74°45.988′W / 41.187833°N 74.766467°W / 41.187833; -74.766467 (Culvers Station)		 Sussex [9][10]
45 2 - Ramapo Station
(previously Wind-beam Lookout)		 1,011 feet (308 m) 50 feet (15 m) Div. A
Sec. A2 (A5&NY)		 Ramapo Mountain State Forest
N41°03.521' W074°15.330'		 Passaic [9][11]
244 6 Bearfort Station 1,331 feet (406 m) 68 feet (21 m) Div. A
Sec. A2, A5 (A1)		 Bearfort Mountain
West Milford Township
41°06.254′N 74°25.044′W / 41.104233°N 74.417400°W / 41.104233; -74.417400 (Bearfort Station)		 Passaic [9][12]
246 8 - Budd Lake Station
(previously 95 Mile Tree Lookout)		 1,182 feet (360 m) 60 feet (18 m) Div. A
Sec. A6,A3,(A4,A8,A7)		 Mount Olive Township
N40°53.704' W074°45.026'		 Morris [9][13]
247 9 Catfish Station 1,555 feet (474 m) 60 feet (18 m) Div. A
Sec. A3 (A6,PA)		 Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area
near Blairstown
N41°02.855' W074°58.347'		 Warren [9][14]
553 12 - Greystone Station 909 feet (277 m) 92 feet (28 m) Div. A
Sec. A7 A8,(A5,B10)		 Union Hill, Denville
N40°51.341' W074°30.690'		 Morris [9][15]
563 16 - Milton Station 1,341 feet (409 m) 80 feet (24 m) Div. A
Sec. A4(A5)		 Morris County Park
Jefferson Township
N41°00.520' W074°32.433'		 Morris [9][16]
243 5 Bass River Station 47 feet (14 m) 80 feet (24 m) Div. B
Sec. B4,B2,C7		 Bass River State Forest
39°36.694′N 74°26.197′W / 39.611567°N 74.436617°W / 39.611567; -74.436617 (Bass River Station)		 Burlington [6][17]
564 17 Apple Pie Hill Station 179 feet (55 m) 60 feet (18 m) Div. B
Sec. B1,B2,B3		 Tabernacle Township
N39°48.443' W074°35.363'		 Burlington [6][18]
565 18 - Batsto Station 70 feet (21 m) 100 feet (30 m) Div. B
Sec. B2(B4,C8,C6)		 Wharton State Forest
N39°38.976' W074°38.567'		 Burlington [6][19]
248 10 - Cedar Bridge Station 204 feet (62 m) 100 feet (30 m) Div. B
Sec. B7,B5,B4,B2		 Lacey Township
N39°50.380' W074°22.836'		 Ocean [6][20]
554 13 - Jamesburg Station
(previously Old Bridge Fire Tower)		 48 feet (15 m) 60 feet (18 m) Div. B
Sec. B10,A7 (B9,A8)		 Thompson County Park
Monroe Township
N40°20.233' W074°26.318'		 Middlesex [6][21]
555 14 - Lakewood Station 136 feet (41 m) 80 feet (24 m) Div. B
Sec. B7,B8,B9(B5,B6,B10)		 Lakewood
N40°04.234' W074°13.674'		 Ocean [6][22]
556 15 - Lebanon Station 136 feet (41 m) 80 feet (24 m) Div. B
Sec. B3,B6,(B5,B2)		 Brendan T. Byrne State Forest
N39°53.531' W074°34.880'		 Burlington [1][6]
568 21 - Medford Station 141 feet (43 m) 100 feet (30 m) Div. B
Sec. B1,B3(B2,C11)		 Piper's Corner, Medford Township
N39°50.504' W074°47.375'		 Burlington [6][23]
245 7 - Belleplain Station 56 feet (17 m) 100 feet (30 m) Div. C
Sec. C2(C4,C5,C6)		 Belleplain State Forest
near Woodbine
N39°17.036' W074°50.948'		 Cape May [24][25]
249 11 McKeetown Station 75 feet (23 m) 100 feet (30 m) Div. C
Sec. C6,C7,(C4,C5)		 Egg Harbor Township
N39°26.304' W074°37.039'		 Atlantic [24][26]
566 19 - Blue Anchor Station 152 feet (46 m) 86 feet (26 m) Div. C
Sec. C11,C6,C9		 Winslow Township
N39°40.978' W074°53.348'		 Camden [24][27]
567 20 - Dias Creek Station 13 feet (4.0 m) 100 feet (30 m) Div. C
Sec. C1,C2		 Middle Township
N39°06.271' W074°52.699'		 Cape May [24][28]
569 22 - Millville Station 83 feet (25 m) 100 feet (30 m) Div. C
Sec. C3,C10,(C9)		 Millville
N39°23.939' W075°04.436'		 Cumberland [24][29]
570 23 - Mizpah Station 106 feet (32 m) 100 feet (30 m) Div. C
Sec. C4,C5,(C9)		 Mizpah, Hamilton Township
N39°28.989' W074°50.851'		 Atlantic [24][30]

Fire towers not in service

US# NJ# Image Tower Name Elevation Height NJFFS Division
Sections covered 		Location of tower County Notes
79 3 "Batsto Mansion with Fire Tower on roof" Batsto Mansion House Station
(also known as Batsto Manor House Station)		 72 feet (22 m) - Div. B Batsto Village State Historic Site
N39°38.604' W074°38.893'		 Burlington [6][31]
83 4 Green Pond Mountain Lookout
(or Picatinny Arsenal Tower)[b]		 1,240 feet (380 m) - Div. A Picatinny Arsenal
Jefferson Township
N40°57.003' W074°34.132'		 Morris [8][33]

See also

References

Notes

  1. ^ Although the Forest Fire Service's lookout at Bearfort Station was built earlier (1884), it was built by the Newark Watershed Commission and operated by them until 1916.[5]
  2. ^ According to Rieth, the Picatinny Arsenal Tower, which is located on a United States Army military research installation, is "not in service, but can be used".[8] NOTE: This fire tower is not the 215 feet (66 m) grey metal tower operated by Picatinny Arsenal Precision Armaments Laboratory that is visible from New Jersey Route 15 in Jefferson Township.[32]

Citations

  1. ^ a b National Historic Lookout Register, Lebanon Station Fire Tower US 556, NJ 15 Archived 2016-03-04 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 24 April 2015.
  2. ^ a b New Jersey Forest Fire Service, "Wildfire Suppression: Fire Towers". Retrieved 24 April 2015.
  3. ^ New Jersey Forest Fire Service, "About Us". Retrieved 19 April 2015.
  4. ^ State of New Jersey, Department of the Treasury, Office of Management and Budget, State of New Jersey Fiscal Year 2016 Detailed Budget, February 24, 2015, page D-113 to D-115.
  5. ^ Forest Fire Lookout Association, "New Jersey Lookouts" (2006). Retrieved 25 April 2015.
  6. ^ a b c d e f g h i j New Jersey Forest Fire Service, "Wildfire Suppression: Division B Fire Towers". Retrieved 24 April 2015.
  7. ^ Eric Sagara, "Eyes in the sky: How N.J.'s remaining fire towers spot blazes first", The Star-Ledger, 2 July 2012. Retrieved 30 April 2015.
  8. ^ a b c John H. Rieth, "New Jersey Wildland Fire Agencies" at the Section B10, New Jersey Forest Fire Service website (2013). Retrieved 24 April 2015.
  9. ^ a b c d e f g New Jersey Forest Fire Service, "Wildfire Suppression: Division A Fire Towers". Retrieved 24 April 2015.
  10. ^ "Culvers Lookout US 44, NJ 1". National Historic Lookout Register. Archived from the original on 2016-03-04. Retrieved 2023-06-11..
  11. ^ National Historic Lookout Register, Ramapo Station Fire Tower US 45, NJ 2 Archived 2016-03-04 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 24 April 2015.
  12. ^ "Bearfort Fire Tower US 244, NJ 6". National Historic Lookout Register. Archived from the original on 2015-09-30. Retrieved 2023-06-10.
  13. ^ National Historic Lookout Register, Budd Lake Fire Tower US 246, NJ 8 Archived 2015-07-05 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 24 April 2015.
  14. ^ National Historic Lookout Register, Catfish Fire Tower US 247, NJ 9 Archived 2015-07-05 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 24 April 2015.
  15. ^ National Historic Lookout Register, Greystone Station Fire Tower US 553, NJ 12 Archived 2016-03-04 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 24 April 2015.
  16. ^ National Historic Lookout Register, Milton Station Fire Tower US 563, NJ 16 Archived 2015-04-24 at archive.today. Retrieved 24 April 2015.
  17. ^ "Bass River Fire Tower US 243, NJ 5". National Historic Lookout Register. Archived from the original on 2015-10-02. Retrieved 2023-06-11..
  18. ^ National Historic Lookout Register, Apple Pie Hill Station Fire Tower US 564, NJ 17 Archived 2016-03-04 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 24 April 2015.
  19. ^ National Historic Lookout Register, Batsto Station Fire Tower US 565, NJ 18 Archived 2015-04-24 at archive.today. Retrieved 24 April 2015.
  20. ^ National Historic Lookout Register, Cedar Bridge Fire Tower US 248, NJ 10 Archived 2015-07-06 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 24 April 2015.
  21. ^ National Historic Lookout Register, Jamesburg Station Fire Tower US 554, NJ 13 Archived 2016-03-04 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 24 April 2015.
  22. ^ National Historic Lookout Register, Lakewood Station Fire Tower US 555, NJ 14 Archived 2016-03-04 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 24 April 2015.
  23. ^ National Historic Lookout Register, Medford Station Fire Tower US 568, NJ 21 Archived 2016-03-04 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 24 April 2015.
  24. ^ a b c d e f New Jersey Forest Fire Service, "Wildfire Suppression: Division C Fire Towers". Retrieved 24 April 2015.
  25. ^ National Historic Lookout Register, Belleplain Fire Tower US 245, NJ 7 Archived 2015-10-02 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 24 April 2015.
  26. ^ "McKeetown Fire Tower US 249, NJ 11". National Historic Lookout Register. Archived from the original on 2015-04-24. Retrieved 2023-06-10.
  27. ^ National Historic Lookout Register, Blue Anchor Station Fire Tower US 566, NJ 19 Archived 2016-03-04 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 24 April 2015.
  28. ^ National Historic Lookout Register, Dias Creek Station Fire Tower US 567, NJ 20 Archived 2016-03-04 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 24 April 2015.
  29. ^ National Historic Lookout Register, Millville Station Fire Tower US 569, NJ 22 Archived 2016-03-04 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 24 April 2015.
  30. ^ National Historic Lookout Register, Mizpah Station Fire Tower US 570, NJ 23 Archived 2016-03-04 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 24 April 2015.
  31. ^ National Historic Lookout Register, Batsto Manor House Lookout US 79, NJ 3 Archived 2015-10-02 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 24 April 2015.
  32. ^ United States Army, Picatinny Arsenal Precision Armaments Laboratory, Facilities/Capabilities: Tower. Retrieved 24 April 2015.
  33. ^ National Historic Lookout Register, Green Pond Mountain Lookout US 83, NJ 4 Archived 2015-04-25 at archive.today. Retrieved 25 April 2015.

External links

New Jersey Forest Fire Service
Categories