Spring’s beautiful dry weather may be a welcome relief after a long cold and wet winter, but there’s a growing danger in the county’s woodlands.
The Ocean County Sheriff’s Department has forwarded to the public a fire warning issued by the National Weather Service and asked residents to be extra cautious outdoors.
“Please do not use the land as an ashtray,” said Freeholder Director John P. Kelly, who is also the county’s Director of Law and Public Safety. “Be cautious while smoking and do not throw cigarette butts out of car windows.”
Kelly said a little “extra vigilance” can prevent forest and brush fires.
Freeholder Joseph H. Vicari, liaison to the Ocean County Department of Consumer Affairs, said many new cars no longer come equipped with ashtrays, so smokers are more likely to toss butts out of the window.
“If you must smoke, please buy an ashtray or special container for your car,” he said. “Even a single cigarette can cause a devastating fire and put both residents and emergency responders at risk.”
If a fire does ignite, a recent county improvement project will make it easier for firefighters to battle the blaze.
The new crosswinds runway at the Robert J. Miller Airpark in Berkeley Township has allowed the state Forest Fire Service to once again station aircraft at the airport.
Prior to the runway’s completion in 2014, the Forest Fire Service had relocated its aircraft because of safety concerns of using only a single runway, despite weather and wind conditions.
The new second runway allows takeoffs and landings no matter which direction the wind is blowing.
Vicari credited Freeholder John C. Bartlett Jr. for leading the successful fight for the second runway.
“We made these improvements for the safety of not only Ocean County but for all of Southern New Jersey,” Vicari said.
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I once got a ticket for throwing a cig out the window. It was a $325 fine!