Bevan WMA Forest Fire

Boyd

Administrator
Staff member
Site Administrator
Jul 31, 2004
9,504
2,766
Ben's Branch, Stephen Creek
Hope they get it under control, it really has been windy recently and the red flag warning is still in effect.

_______________________

URGENT - FIRE WEATHER MESSAGE
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MOUNT HOLLY NJ
406 AM EDT THU APR 24 2014

...RED FLAG WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT FROM 10 AM THIS MORNING TO
8 PM EDT THIS EVENING FOR LOW RELATIVE HUMIDITY AND STRONG WIND
FOR EASTERN PENNSYLVANIA...MOST OF NEW JERSEY...DELAWARE AND THE
EASTERN SHORE OF MARYLAND...

* WINDS...NORTHWEST 10 TO 20 MPH WITH GUSTS UP TO 30 MPH.

* TIMING...STRONGEST WINDS WILL BE LATE THIS MORNING INTO THE
EARLY AFTERNOON... WITH THE LOWEST HUMIDITIES FROM LATE MORNING
INTO THE EARLY EVENING.

* RELATIVE HUMIDITY...IN THE TEENS AND 20S.

* TEMPERATURES...MAINLY IN THE LOWER TO MID 60S.

* IMPACTS...THE COMBINATION OF WINDY CONDITIONS AND LOW RELATIVE
HUMIDITY VALUES WILL LEAD TO A MORE RAPID SPREAD RATE OF ANY
FIRES THAT MAY DEVELOP. RESIDENTS ARE ENCOURAGED TO EXERCISE
FIRE PREVENTION WITH ANY OUTDOOR ACTIVITIES AND PROPERLY
DISPOSE OF SMOKING MATERIALS.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

A RED FLAG WARNING MEANS THAT CRITICAL FIRE WEATHER CONDITIONS
ARE EITHER OCCURRING NOW...OR WILL SHORTLY DUE TO A COMBINATION
OF STRONG WINDS...LOW RELATIVE HUMIDITY...AND DRY FUELS. ANY
FIRES THAT DEVELOP MAY QUICKLY GET OUT OF CONTROL AND BECOME
DIFFICULT TO CONTAIN.
 

manumuskin

Piney
Jul 20, 2003
8,552
2,465
59
millville nj
www.youtube.com
you know chris I hadn't thought of that.it is down in that area.Bill is supposedly going out there in a few nights to listen for treefrogs.he will find out.i would run down there now but my heel spur is killing me.My orthotic pads are in and I have to pick them up tuesday.been limpin around for months.i know they said it started on ackley and was heading south.don't know if it got as far as the tracks.they've had all roads south from laurel lake blocked for two days.everything is open now and I hear its out.
 

dragoncjo

Piney
Aug 12, 2005
1,524
238
42
camden county
Curious to know how many crispy turtles Whip will find. The box turtles are up but at nights tucking into leaves, I think these fires in are going to do a number on them. Although i think they will tuck in and just end up with a burnt shell. Bevan one concerns me tho.
 

manumuskin

Piney
Jul 20, 2003
8,552
2,465
59
millville nj
www.youtube.com
Okay Chris I checked.The fire was west of 555 and south of shaws mill road all the way down to the RR tracks,jumped Ackley road.It does not appear to have crowned (all I could see was along 555,shwas mill is gated and ackley is still blocked off).It appears to done a right nice job of clearing out the brush but I saw no crowned trees from the road.A nice walk may be taken tomorrow if I don't get beat up too bad at work tonight.No time today.The treefrogs are safe:)
 

NJChileHead

Explorer
Dec 22, 2011
831
628
Glad the pbtf's are okay. Wouldn't the fire would have to go into the cedars to get them, meaning an unusually catastrophic fire? I understand that snakes duck into burrows during forest fires and the fires pass safely overhead. Sad about the turtles.

Al, I have a problem with the achilles tendon and just recently got a pair of Spenco Total Support thins, along with a pair of trekking poles for hiking in the mountains. The Spencos are awesome, and provide a ton of relief. I've tried others with not a lot of help, but these are great. I used to look with skepticism at the trekking poles, but it's like the difference between running on a treadmill and an elliptical machine, it really takes a lot of impact off the knees and ankles (feet too). Just a heads up.
 

manumuskin

Piney
Jul 20, 2003
8,552
2,465
59
millville nj
www.youtube.com
Where the PBTF's are is not a cedar swamp.It's in a grassy wet swale that I think may be kept wet by spring water because when the nearby vernal pond dries completely up this swale still holds water.It's close enough to a forested area that if the forest was on fire and firefighters weren't right there to block it the fire would definitely sweep through the swale but I would think if the frogs were out they could subm,erge long enough for the fire to pass.After all they stay submerged all winter.
I get my orthotic pads tomorrow morning.Hope they work.I"m hobbling around when I first get up like I"m crippled.I get better as the day goes on and when I have my boots on I"m not bad at all but after a long walk and then I set down awhile I can barely walk.I never got into the trekking pole idea (I believe they might be good for trail hiking) is that in the brush poles are a pain to me.I like to have both hands free to keep briars and such out of my face and a pole just gets hung up in such stuff.Also if I ever took to poles I"d never buy anything expensive because I know I"d leave them somewhere.Probably in a place I just swore I"d never go back to..Never heard of a Spenco.If the pads don't work I may try them.I do not want Cortisone shot in my foot and if nothing else works I"ll just get them operated on.I need some time off anyway but it would be ashame to get the time off and not be able to hike.That would suck boukoup.
 

dragoncjo

Piney
Aug 12, 2005
1,524
238
42
camden county
Al, I'm glad the PBTFs are ok. I gotta get down there this year, don't think I've visited that spot in 5 years. First time I went there I was shocked because its not fully blown barrens. I remember it was about 11 o'clock and I was about to turn around when the rain started and I heard this slight wonking. Walked another 1/4 mile and they were everywhere, all over the trail, busheds, trees etc.
 

manumuskin

Piney
Jul 20, 2003
8,552
2,465
59
millville nj
www.youtube.com
what brought you to that spot in the first place? It's literally on the edge of the barrens.to the north is te3chnically a pine/oak forest or really an oak/pine forest and to the south it is definitely not barrens at all.the treefrogs last stand there for sure.
 

dragoncjo

Piney
Aug 12, 2005
1,524
238
42
camden county
had a gut feeling based on the vegatation and there was a load of leopard frogs there. They were the prettier leopard frog tho and there was sundews and pitcher plant. I still considered it a longshot but my gut was right.
 

whippoorbill

Explorer
Jul 29, 2003
675
121
65
Bridgeton


I'm 99% sure this was recorded at the discussed pond (a few years back). Great to hear this area wasn't affected by the recent fire. I haven't made it out there yet this spring. A trip to Belleplain State Forest (plenty of pbtfs there) must be worked in. Friendship bogs. Where to find the time.

Whip
 

manumuskin

Piney
Jul 20, 2003
8,552
2,465
59
millville nj
www.youtube.com
I remember the time we went out to the pbtf location down my way we only heard treefrogs (PB"s) down the slope in the swale and we were hearing leopards,greens and greys in and around the pond.I almost think i remember bullfrogs as well but that can't be because that pond dries up in summer and I think Bulls only hangout in permanent water.Then again I did used to catch shrimp nets full of bullfrog tadpoles in a vernal here in laurel lake and that pond did occasionally dry up in very dry years.Quite a ways away from any other water source too.Across the street from laurel lake fie hall.They'd have to hp several hundred yards and across two roads to get into laurel lake which is highly acidic.I never see bulls in acidic water.
 
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NJChileHead

Explorer
Dec 22, 2011
831
628
Bill that's a great recording. Beautiful! I hear peepers, leopards, PBTF's, whippoorwills, green frogs, carpenter frogs. Was that recording made relatively early in the year (late april / early may)?
 
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