Firefighters in New Jersey are lighting planned fires as we enter peak wildfire season in an effort to reduce wildfire risk. Plus, the state just installed its first new fire tower in 78 years in Jackson Township, Ocean County, that stands 133 feet tall. At the top, fire observers are on the lookout for smoke. “As soon as they see that smoke this allows them to pinpoint where that smoke is coming from and dispatch resources,” Forest Fire Service Chief Bill Donnelly said. “It can all be done in less than a minute.” The new tower in Jackson is part of a statewide network of 21 fire towers. It comes as the Forest Fire Service is intentionally setting flames, known as a prescribed burn, to burn away the fuel on the ground that could feed a wildfire. In 2025, the New Jersey Forest Fire Service responded to more than 1,300 wildfires that burned more than 27,000 acres. ...read more read less