Potential for Wildfires Exists in Millburn

Thousands of miles away wildfires are raging, threatening people's homes. It's a way of life for people who live in California.

But on the East Coast, wildfires aren't something people regularly think about, although they do happen.

"We have had good brush fires in South Mountain Reservation, but not as of late," said Battalion Fire Chief Ed Wade. "It's been several years."

The conditions in Millburn-Short Hills aren't the same as they are in California, however, so brush fires are less frequent, he said. The types of trees that grow here hold water, he said, and it isn't nearly as dry.

"The potential is there, but we don't go long times without rain," he said.

There have been incidents, however, where it has not rained and been dry enough to spark a fire. Several years ago, in fact, Essex County officials issued a no open burning restriction for South Mountain Reservation because they were worried about the potential for a brush fire, Wade said.

There are several areas in town where residences back up to South Mountain Reservation and other open spaces—including the Oakey Tract and the Cora Hartshorn Arboretum—where homeowners should keep in mind the potential for wildfires, Wade said. Those residents should keep an eye on the brush in their yard, he said, and if they see too much dead material in the reservation, they should reach out to county officials.

And wildfires can happen at any time and not just in the summer, Wade said. There was a fire around Thanksgiving one year because it was dry, he said.

"People think the summer is the highest risk, but it can happen in the fall," he said. "There is more brush on the ground then."

While wildfires are uncommon and not to the level they are in California, Millburn firefighters train how to fight brush fires, which can be a challenge in the reservation.

Wade said there are several steep slopes in the reservation. Plus water isn't readily available, he said, although the Millburn engines carry 500 gallons of water. If they run out of water, he said, they need to call another engine or for mutual aid to shuttle the water.

In order to prepare, Millburn firefighters will traverse the fire roads in the various open spaces, including the reservation, to make sure they are accessible. Sometimes a tree may have fallen across the fire road, Wade said, and firefighters will move it.

Firefighters have trained how to fight a brush fire because it can be different than fighting a structure fire, Wade said. A brush fire, if large enough, can create its own wind and atmosphere. Additionally the New Jersey Forest Fire Service has come to talk and train with the local firefighters.

Millburn, however, isn't the only fire department that responds to brush fires in the reservation. Maplewood, West Orange and, to a lesser extent, South Orange also have areas of the reservation to which they will respond.