Controlled burn at Black Run Preserve, February 26, 2019 ©Richard Lewis
Please be advised that the second in a series of controlled burns, conducted by the New Jersey Forest Fire Service (NJFFS), is scheduled for the Black Run Preserve (BRP) on Wednesday, March 13. For your safety, the Preserve will be closed to visitors. Please stay clear of the area. If you smell smoke in the area, it is nothing to be alarmed about.
Because there have been no wildfires in the BRP area for more than 50 years, the amount of fuel (i.e., downed limbs, leaves and pine needles) has become extremely dense and presents a significant risk of accidental or intentional fire. Population density and the increased use of the BRP magnify that risk. The danger to people and their homes adjacent to the BRP is of utmost concern. The recent fires in California are a sobering reminder of how devastating wildfires can become.
Evesham Township, Evesham Fire Department, the NJFFS and the Friends of Black Run Preserve members have partnered to conduct the controlled, prescribed, hazard reduction burn – a form of forest management – to protect the safety of the residents of the surrounding area and their property.
