TRENTON, N.J. (KYW Newsradio) — The wildfire that scorched 15,000 acres at Wharton State Forest in the New Jersey Pinelands is 100% contained. Now lawmakers from that region want to make sure the towns that helped get the fire under control are reimbursed for their costs.
While it was the biggest wildfire in the state in a decade or more, it likely will not be the last. Fires like these burn through the bottom line for local fire departments that come to help.
“It’s tough as municipal budgets get tighter and tighter,” N.J. Assemblyman Mike Torrissi said.
When the fire was raging, he asked local departments what they needed. Money to cover costs was a top answer, so Torrissi, Assemblyman Brandon Umba and State Sen. Jean Stanfield have introduced bills that would reimburse local fire departments through the Department of Environmental Protection when assisting the state forest fire team.
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“This is an avenue for us,” Stanfield said. “We’re helping protect state land or the Wharton State Forest, and I think it’s a good opportunity for us to capture some revenue to help us protect the pinelands, our natural resources.”
Stanfield notes the total cost of some of the large-scale firefighting efforts can reach $1 million or more.
“These fires often don’t spread to residential communities because of the hundreds of hours of brave work put in by our firefighters and the Forest Fire Service, but this all comes at a cost for many communities in the Pinelands, which already have a limited tax base,” Stanfield said.
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Torrissi and Stanfield say it’s important for the state to help out these towns so other necessary services aren’t cut.
Torrissi says this won’t make it onto the agenda before summer recess, and he’s anticipating bipartisan support this fall.