| Andover,
New Jersey
On
Friday folks began arriving in the afternoon to the new Forest Fire headquarters
situated on route 206 at the south end of Kittatinny Valley State Park where we
had held two previous conferences. Our numbers were small but dedicated to having
a good time of it. We were welcomed in the late afternoon by the New Jersey State
Firewarden, Maris Gabliks and the "A" Division firewarden, Mike Hennessey.
As it was a "working day" a few of the fellows working outside in the
yard also joined us during a break in felling trees along the fence line. On one
occasion, we had a small "emergency" when a chain saw got hung up about
twenty feet up in a tree and everyone pitched in on the drag rope to leverage
the tree down and away from the new cyclone fence.
Bob Wolff and Rhonda
Ward welcomed us all and lead us in a short tour of the facility, during which
time, Steve Cummings, Henry Isenberg and Chuck Helms arrived that then joined
our growing group.
Introductions and "house-keeping" briefs over
we exited down the road to the Andover Diner for dinner and for a bit afterwards
back at headquarters, reviewed, Rhonda's copy of "The Greatest Good"
US Forest Service film with many segments some of us had never seen before.
Saturday
morning some other folks arrived, including Keith Argow who had driven up from
Virginia. Once again, Bob welcomed everyone and after a roundabout introduction
of everyone present, there was some State reporting to be done and business issues.
Our National Secretary could not make it to the east coast, so Ray Grimes took
notes that will serve as "official minutes". Bill Price and family had
arrived from southern New Jersey, making this their summer vacation trip; Bill
had also attended the Rhode Island Conference. National Historic Lookout certificates
were turned over to him for presentation to B and C Division headquarters.
The
afternoon's lunch was from a local Deli, which we all shared at the conference
room. Keith departed for Boston after that and our group traveled to the Budd
Lake fire tower, which had been reconditioned, and the property made part of Allamuchy
State Park. Budd Lake was at one time known as "95 mile tree lookout"
one of the earliest fire observation posts in the state. From there we journey
to Knowlton along the Delaware River to the Section three "pig roast",
an enjoyable event, and after that to the "Lakota Wolf Preserve" where
several species of wolves are in captivity. Back at headquarters it was time to
demobilize the displays and put things back in order at the conference room. Our
thanks to the New Jersey Forest Fire Service for allowing us the use of the facility.
As part of the reason for this affair was to help celebrate the 100th anniversary
of NJFFS 1906-2006.
On Sunday our reduced numbered group headed for Greystone
fire tower where we found the 92-foot tall tower in good shape. Greystone's upper
50 feet and cab had once been the Edison fire tower prior to 1937. It is also
on the NHLR.
Leaving Greystone and heading North to Ramapo fire tower on
the ridge of the same name, we found observer Tom Haffy busy, working a brush
fire nearby below the ridge with Section Two vehicles and personnel. Henry Isenberg
and Larry Paul left us at Ramapo, heading back home, as our group departed and
made a stop at the Long Pond Ironworks for a walking tour of one of the early
iron furnaces of the area. Our final stop was at Bearfort fire tower in West Milford
Township. Bearfort had also been the third tower our group had visited back in
1990 at the Saddle River conference. Climbing down from the tower, Bob received
a "page" from his district wardens that a brush fire was starting up
on the Kittatinny ridge near Yards Creek in his Section, so we hurried back to
the van at the bottom of the hill and left for Hamburg to drop the Culvers tower
keys off to the waiting operator there, then on towards Andover. In the distance
we could see a growing wind blown column of smoke from the ridge. Back again at
headquarters, we switched into "firefighter mode" , donning yellow shirts
and getting gear together for what might be a long night. Rhonda busied herself
loading everything on the power wagon what might be needed, water, extra gear,
etc while Bob and I staffed the telephones inside that were ringing with incoming
reports. After about forty-five minutes it was determined that Bob's district
wardens had got on scene and discovered the fire was going to be manageable after
all, so I departed for home.
The next day, although it being my day-off
I decided it would be best to go to Sterling tower with this increasingly threatening
dry weather and spend the day there. Fortunately, there were no further fire starts
although the conditions were rife for it. Late evening dowsing rain lowered the
fire threat although the Yards Creek fire continued to smolder with ground fire
for many days afterwards and it took several helicopter drops and long hiking
hours to the remote scene before it was called under control. For many, the summer
season was still going into "high gear" with a total of four crews and
many single resources dispatched to western fire duty.
Although our numbers
were small, our conference was a successful respite from the busy weeks of work
from our jobs. Western fire deployments continued into the autumn. Conditions
here in the East were kept manageable by sufficient precip. A few of those attending
planned to attend the California Conference in September at Big Bear.
Bob Spear;
National Historian
Photos
(Courtesey
Ronda Ward) |
