Tropical Storm Fay Showed Up Just In Time To Put Out A Pine Barrens Fire

Tropical Storm Fay spent the early part of Friday whipping Ocean County with rain and wind bringing downed power lines and local flooding, but it did some good too, dousing a Pine Barrens wild fire that could have been much worse if not for the soaking.

According to the New Jersey Forest Fire Service, the fire danger for the state had been between "Moderate" and "High" to start July when one of their airplanes spotted smoke coming from the Colliers Mill Wildlife Management Area part of the Pine Barrens in Jackson Township on Thursday.

They sent crews out as the blaze grew to 204 acres, then Tropical Storm Fay moved in to finish the job, dousing what was left of the fire with the rain that was dumped on our area.

The New Jersey Forest Fire Service shared photos to their official Facebook page from both above the fire and on the ground on Friday afternoon:

While this time of year typically isn't high season for forest fires, within the last few weeks, conditions have been dry and the Garden State hasn't seen a lot of rain so far this summer.

Of course, this time of year there's more activity from people shooting off fireworks and having campfires, and here in Ocean County we know all too well that a stray cigarette butt could go from being simply litter to the spark that begins a wildfire that could quickly burn out of control.

You can stay up to date with the New Jersey Forest Fire Service by clicking here for their official Facebook page.