New Jersey lawmakers weigh in on wildfire preparedness

New Jersey lawmakers weigh in on wildfire preparedness

TRENTON, N.J. (PIX11) -- The Jones Road wildfire is prompting some Trenton lawmakers to speak up. "The biggest public safety and environmental crisis our State is facing today is wildfire," said  Republican Assemblyman Michael Inganamort, who this week called on the Assembly Environmental Committee to convene for a hearing on wildfire preparedness. More Local News "Whether you have an arsonist or an accidental fire, our forests should not …

A New Jersey wildfire tore through thousands of acres—right after the state cut back on prescribed burns

New Jersey has a million acres filled with towering pitch pines. It’s springtime and the trees stand straight, bare and bonelike, above a carpet of winter needles that worry state fire service professionals. This week, a swath of the Pine Barrens went up in flames, a stark warning of what might be a treacherous fire season. About 11,500 acres were affected by a fire that started Tuesday morning in the Greenwood Forest Wildlife Management Area of…