Atco Dragway Fire
- Thread starter dragoncjo
- Start date
The area you outlined matches up perfectly to the area that has been control burned over the past several decades. I know it well. Just for perspective of the size of this fire. I think that area highlighted is around 200 acres.
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I drove thru the area today. Everything to the left side of Austin causeway is backfired. So the backfire is quite a distance from your outline. There was still alot of open small flames along Austin’s causeway and then down in the woods along the Mullica. Still decent smoke coming off tusco musco dune. In the area I could see from Jackson nothing looked more burnt than a standard spring control burn.
We drove down Austin's Causeway today as Dragon did earlier, and about 50 feet before a location I have been looking for a property stone the FFS turned and blazed a break through the woods. Fifty feet more and I would have had a better chance.
They did burn along the river so we will check out that area soon.
They did burn along the river so we will check out that area soon.
Road the electric bike behind my house down the power line cut today. They did back fires from just off the power line cut, along the private hunting land and up to Mrs. Miller blueberry farm. I think the new firebreak they cut extends from Mrs. Millers bogs to Ausins Causeway. The then burned down Jackson to the raceway, up to Tusco Musco which is probably the orgin of the fire. In the areas I've seen its just burnt on the ground and looks like a controlled burn. I imagine the dune is more charred and burnt. Too much green vegatation to create more severe burn. Photo attached.
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I second Teegate's thanks. I hope that the Millers did not suffer any damages. They are good friends of my family and me. My dad's deer club was founded by Frederick "Fritz" Miller, I try to get over there at least once each year during deer season for dinner with the guys.
Also, I was doing deer scouting on our farm on Atsion Road last night, and after midnight, it got very smoky again. I had to go back to Tabernacle during the night for a little while, and as soon as I got away from Atsion Road the smoke dissipated. By the time I got to 206 I couldn't smell any smoke at all. When I returned, it was the same thing in reverse. By the time I got to Atsion Road the strong smoke was back. It had eased a bit as morning approached.
Also, I was doing deer scouting on our farm on Atsion Road last night, and after midnight, it got very smoky again. I had to go back to Tabernacle during the night for a little while, and as soon as I got away from Atsion Road the smoke dissipated. By the time I got to 206 I couldn't smell any smoke at all. When I returned, it was the same thing in reverse. By the time I got to Atsion Road the strong smoke was back. It had eased a bit as morning approached.
I think I saw you out there if you have a white truck just past Indian mills pig roast heading towards oak shade. The smoke was bad then but only up to around the pits. It has consistently been Smokey there but not much elsewhere. Mrs Miller property is really a beautiful pieces of land.
@dragoncjo
That may have been my brother. The vehicle I had last night actually featured in my very first post on NJPB:
https://forums.njpinebarrens.com/threads/atco-dragway.13731/#post-174718
That may have been my brother. The vehicle I had last night actually featured in my very first post on NJPB:
https://forums.njpinebarrens.com/threads/atco-dragway.13731/#post-174718
Jessica and myself was out in the burn around near the dragway and Austin's Causeway and I will post later today on the burn locations we found. They came oh so close to helping me but not close enough.
We drove Austin's Causeway as Dragon did the other day and we walked up an old path towards the bottom of Millers Bog. It is not shown on the map below. Anyway, here is the burn route from Austin's Causeway to the tip of Millers. They then back burned an old path and burned the circular area. Then somewhere in the area of the blue line they started downward. I don't know exactly where as I have not been south of the blue line yet. That open section between the tip of the bogs and the Magenta line was not burned where we were. It may have been burned further north along the bog property.
We also went to the dune along the Tusco Musco. When we were there last no signs were up on Evan's Road but they are now.
And in the photo above you can see a log across the road which is also the same as in this photo.
And in two other location on the dune they now have signs.
We were there early and it looked like fall.
It was crispy along the dunes and in the woods north of it. We did not spend a lot of time there. We did walk Evan's road and looked for the game camera that was there early this spring and it is gone. It appears that the dune area was the start of the fire but I have no proof of that other than it looked quite burnt.
We also went to the dune along the Tusco Musco. When we were there last no signs were up on Evan's Road but they are now.
And in the photo above you can see a log across the road which is also the same as in this photo.
And in two other location on the dune they now have signs.
We were there early and it looked like fall.
It was crispy along the dunes and in the woods north of it. We did not spend a lot of time there. We did walk Evan's road and looked for the game camera that was there early this spring and it is gone. It appears that the dune area was the start of the fire but I have no proof of that other than it looked quite burnt.
If anyone watched the live video on Facebook with Russ and Jason in March, this is the location. Those branches are burned and were not there back in March when I was there. It looks like since the fire someone has placed the branches in the doughnut, and along with the signs they are trying to keep vehicles out.
We spent some time today in the Sharp's Mountain area and the FFS did burn the mountain. It is obvious they actually walked the motorcycle trail that circles the mountain and started the fire inward keeping it in check. They also burned the long road south to the mountain on both sides quite well. This effectively stopped the fire from getting to Atsion Road in that area. They stopped burning just south of Sharps.
The fire on the mountain was pretty hot but that is so thick in there some places are still a struggle to walk in. But with the fire coming at this time of year it should be a good winter for exploring there.
We made the mistake of leaving the fire area to look for a Wharton monument and paid the price and acquired chigger ticks. We used a half a can of Off knocking them down.
The fire on the mountain was pretty hot but that is so thick in there some places are still a struggle to walk in. But with the fire coming at this time of year it should be a good winter for exploring there.
We made the mistake of leaving the fire area to look for a Wharton monument and paid the price and acquired chigger ticks. We used a half a can of Off knocking them down.
