Forest Fire Laurel Trail

Kaleidopete

Well-Known Member
Forest Fire on the Laurel Trail this morning. Seven AM the fire equipment was just arriving.
It's about a mile in from the furnace on Laurel and about ten acres have burned.

Laurel Fire04.jpg


Laurel Fire03.jpg


This is how they let the trucks know where to go
Laurel Fire05.jpg
 

trailhead

JORBA: Wildcat/Splitrock
JORBA.ORG
The DEP said on Sunday the fire was first reported at about 4 p.m., and that firefighters had difficulty getting to the blaze due to its "very remote" location off the park's Laurel Pond Trail.

No lightning storms recently.
 

jimf

Active Member
I must have just missed this, I went up laurel at 2:30ish. Ran into a number of hikers, way more than usual and the leaves were deep and dry at some points, felt like I was hydroplaning in water. Would not have taken much to light it up
 

huffster

Well-Known Member
@Kaleidopete
I did a big loop at Waway today. Toward the end on Banker/Plymouth Trail, I thought I was smelling burning leaves. I could not see any sign of smoke in the sky. But, you can't really see the sky that well from those trails. I thought (hoped) it was someone burning leaves in the nearby homes. When I got out and stopped Strava, I saw your ride named "Laurel Trail Fire" in my feed from earlier today. Is there any indication of how this started? Sounds like they managed to control it at this point.
 

Kaleidopete

Well-Known Member
@Kaleidopete
I did a big loop at Waway today. Toward the end on Banker/Plymouth Trail, I thought I was smelling burning leaves. I could not see any sign of smoke in the sky. But, you can't really see the sky that well from those trails. I thought (hoped) it was someone burning leaves in the nearby homes. When I got out and stopped Strava, I saw your ride named "Laurel Trail Fire" in my feed from earlier today. Is there any indication of how this started? Sounds like they managed to control it at this point.
@huffster
I saw the rangers around 3PM today (Monday) and they said it is contained as of now. They don't know how it started. Most likely a smoker.
 

chris12453

Well-Known Member
I took a ride through the park today. You can whats left on Twin Bridges as well. Saw some rangers up there on the ATV's as well. Quite burnt I will say that.
 

Zaskar

Well-Known Member
I was up there on Saturday as well. It appeared that the fire road/single track in sections were cleared of leaves and therefore created a fire break. Maybe they back lit fires from the cleared areas towards the fire? Was interesting to see and would have taken pictures but I was completely hung over.
 

Kaleidopete

Well-Known Member
I was up there on Saturday as well. It appeared that the fire road/single track in sections were cleared of leaves and therefore created a fire break. Maybe they back lit fires from the cleared areas towards the fire? Was interesting to see and would have taken pictures but I was completely hung over.

@Zaskar , @huffster
I was up there today and took some more photos.
What the Forestry people did was go in with backpack leaf blowers and cleared Red Dot & Twin Bridges to control the fire.
And a good job they did at stopping it.
Twin Bridge burnt08.jpg

Twin Bridge burnt01.jpg


Twin Bridge burnt06.jpg



Twin Bridge burnt05.jpg
 

huffster

Well-Known Member
Pictures don't even do it justice. For anybody who has not seen it in person, the trail made a literal line in the fire. 1 side of trail was black and the other side of the trail looks like nothing ever happened. So, BIG KUDOS to the forestry folks!!!
 

Ian F

Well-Known Member
That's not surprising. A number of "trails" down in the Pine Barrens in the South Jersey state forests started out as fire-cuts in the sand to control fires.

I rode at Waywayanda for the first time on Friday after Thanksgiving. Awesome place. We look forward to going back. Granted, if I'm driving up that way in warmer weather, it'll be tough for me not to drive to Mtn Creek...
 

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