In order to aid its efforts in wildland fire suppression and fire protection, the New Jersey Forest Fire Service operates a system of 21 fire towers at locations throughout the state of New Jersey in the United States.New Jersey Forest Fire Service, "Wildfire Suppression: Fire Towers". Retrieved 24 April 2015. From these fire towers, using an instrument called the Osborne Fire Finder, or an alidade, and topographical maps, trained fire observers are able to spot and triangulate the location of possible wildfires. After ascertaining the location, the observer will file a "smoke report" which will be investigated and appropriate action taken by a local firewarden.

Founded in 1906, the New Jersey Forest Fire Service is the largest firefighting department within New Jersey and is an agency within the New Jersey Division of Parks and Forestry, a division of the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection. With 85 full-time professional firefighters (career civil service positions), and approximately 2,000 trained part-time on-call wildland firefighters throughout the state, its mission is to protect "life and property, as well as the state's natural resources, from wildfire."New Jersey Forest Fire Service, "About Us". Retrieved 19 April 2015. The agency covers a primary response area of comprising 77% of the state's land area and administered by three regional divisions. This primary response area includes the state's rural and suburban areas, as well as its public state parks and forests. In 2014, the New Jersey Forest Fire Service responded to 1,063 wildfire events that destroyed . The service conducted controlled burns or prescribed burns on statewide.State of New Jersey, Department of the Treasury, Office of Management and Budget, State of New Jersey Fiscal Year 2016 Detailed Budget, February 24, 2015, page D-113 to D-115.

The first fire lookout towers were often privately constructed during the late nineteenth century—many by large-tract landowners or corporations. However, after the creation of the Forest Fire Service, the state began erecting towers—some temporary, others permanent. The oldest erected by the Forest Fire Service that is in continuing operation is Culvers Station (then called the Normanook Fire Tower), first used in 1908, along the ridge of Kittatinny Mountain near Culver's Lake and the Culver's Gap. Many of the state's fire towers were built during the Great Depression by the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC). More were erected during World War II, to aid both the Forest Fire Service and to the Aircraft Warning Service, operating from mid-1941 to mid-1944, in which fire observers were assigned additional duty as enemy aircraft spotters. During World War II, the Lakewood Station was "used to listen to German U-boat communications in the Atlantic Ocean 12 miles to the east".New Jersey Forest Fire Service, "Wildfire Suppression: Division B Fire Towers". Retrieved 24 April 2015. Fire towers are located at key points of observation and on diverse terrain from northern New Jersey's mountain-and-valley terrain to the comparatively flat and low-elevation coastal plains in the south and central sections of the state. Today, these 21 towers provide New Jersey an inexpensive and effective first response system that aids the New Jersey Forest Fire Service in quickly suppressing and in preventing damage caused by reported wildfires. The Forest Fire Service estimates that 25 percent of wildfires within the state every year are first spotted by a lookout.Eric Sagara, "Eyes in the sky: How N.J.'s remaining fire towers spot blazes first", The Star-Ledger, 2 July 2012. Retrieved 30 April 2015.

A number of these fire towers are listed on the National Historic Lookout Register.

List of fire towers Fire towers in active service US#NJ#ImageTower NameElevationHeightNJFFS DivisionSections coveredJohn H. Rieth, "New Jersey Wildland Fire Agencies" at the Section B10, New Jersey Forest Fire Service website (2013). Retrieved 24 April 2015.Location of towerCountyNotes 44 1 Culvers Station(previously Normanook Fire Tower) Div. A Sec. A1 (PA, NY) Stokes State Forest, Sandyston Township Sussex New Jersey Forest Fire Service, "Wildfire Suppression: Division A Fire Towers". Retrieved 24 April 2015.. 45 2 - Ramapo Station(previously Wind-beam Lookout) Div. ASec. A2 (A5&NY) Ramapo Mountain State ForestN41°03.521' W074°15.330' Passaic National Historic Lookout Register, Ramapo Station Fire Tower US 45, NJ 2 . Retrieved 24 April 2015. 244 6 Bearfort Station Div. ASec. A2, A5 (A1) Bearfort MountainWest Milford Township Passaic 246 8 Budd Lake Station(previously 95 Mile Tree Lookout) Div. A Sec. A6, A3,(A4, A8, A7) Mount Olive TownshipN40°53.704' W074°45.026' Morris National Historic Lookout Register, Budd Lake Fire Tower US 246, NJ 8 . Retrieved 24 April 2015. 247 9 Catfish Station Div. ASec. A3 (A6, PA) Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Areanear BlairstownN41°02.855' W074°58.347' Warren National Historic Lookout Register, Catfish Fire Tower US 247, NJ 9 . Retrieved 24 April 2015. 553 12 - Greystone Station Div. ASec. A7 A8,(A5, B10) Union Hill, DenvilleN40°51.341' W074°30.690' Morris National Historic Lookout Register, Greystone Station Fire Tower US 553, NJ 12 . Retrieved 24 April 2015. 563 16 - Milton Station Div. ASec. A4(A5) Morris County ParkJefferson TownshipN41°00.520' W074°32.433' Morris National Historic Lookout Register, Milton Station Fire Tower US 563, NJ 16 . Retrieved 24 April 2015. 243 5 Bass River Station Div. BSec. B4, B2, C7 Bass River State Forest Burlington . 564 17 Apple Pie Hill Station Div. BSec. B1, B2, B3 Tabernacle TownshipN39°48.443' W074°35.363' Burlington National Historic Lookout Register, Apple Pie Hill Station Fire Tower US 564, NJ 17 . Retrieved 24 April 2015. 565 18 - Batsto Station Div. BSec. B2(B4, C8, C6) Wharton State ForestN39°38.976' W074°38.567' Burlington National Historic Lookout Register, Batsto Station Fire Tower US 565, NJ 18 . Retrieved 24 April 2015. 248 10 - Cedar Bridge Station Div. BSec. B7, B5, B4, B2 Lacey TownshipN39°50.380' W074°22.836' Ocean National Historic Lookout Register, Cedar Bridge Fire Tower US 248, NJ 10 . Retrieved 24 April 2015. 554 13 - Jamesburg Station(previously Old Bridge Fire Tower) Div. BSec. B10, A7 (B9, A8) Thompson County ParkMonroe TownshipN40°20.233' W074°26.318' Middlesex National Historic Lookout Register, Jamesburg Station Fire Tower US 554, NJ 13 . Retrieved 24 April 2015. 556 15 - Lebanon Station Div. BSec. B3, B6,(B5, B2) Brendan T. Byrne State ForestN39°53.531' W074°34.880' Burlington 568 21 - Medford Station Div. BSec. B1, B3(B2, C11) Piper's Corner, Medford TownshipN39°50.504' W074°47.375' Burlington National Historic Lookout Register, Medford Station Fire Tower US 568, NJ 21 . Retrieved 24 April 2015. 245 7 - Belleplain Station Div. CSec. C2(C4, C5, C6) Belleplain State Forestnear WoodbineN39°17.036' W074°50.948' Cape May New Jersey Forest Fire Service, "Wildfire Suppression: Division C Fire Towers". Retrieved 24 April 2015.National Historic Lookout Register, Belleplain Fire Tower US 245, NJ 7 . Retrieved 24 April 2015. 249 11 McKeetown Station Div. CSec. C6, C7,(C4, C5) Egg Harbor TownshipN39°26.304' W074°37.039' Atlantic 566 19 - Blue Anchor Station Div. CSec. C11, C6, C9 Winslow TownshipN39°40.978' W074°53.348' Camden National Historic Lookout Register, Blue Anchor Station Fire Tower US 566, NJ 19 . Retrieved 24 April 2015. 567 20 - Dias Creek Station Div. CSec. C1, C2 Middle TownshipN39°06.271' W074°52.699' Cape May National Historic Lookout Register, Dias Creek Station Fire Tower US 567, NJ 20 . Retrieved 24 April 2015. 569 22 - Millville Station Div. CSec. C3, C10,(C9) MillvilleN39°23.939' W075°04.436' Cumberland National Historic Lookout Register, Millville Station Fire Tower US 569, NJ 22 . Retrieved 24 April 2015. 570 23 - Mizpah Station Div. CSec. C4, C5,(C9) Mizpah, Hamilton TownshipN39°28.989' W074°50.851' Atlantic National Historic Lookout Register, Mizpah Station Fire Tower US 570, NJ 23 . Retrieved 24 April 2015.

Fire towers not in service or no longer standing US#NJ#ImageTower NameElevationHeightNJFFS DivisionSections coveredLocation of towerCountyNotes 79 3 Batsto Mansion House Station(also known as Batsto Manor House Station) - Div. B Batsto Village State Historic SiteN39°38.604' W074°38.893' Burlington National Historic Lookout Register, Batsto Manor House Lookout US 79, NJ 3 . Retrieved 24 April 2015. 83 4 Green Pond Mountain Lookout(or Picatinny Arsenal Tower) - Div. A Picatinny ArsenalJefferson TownshipN40°57.003' W074°34.132' Morris National Historic Lookout Register, Green Pond Mountain Lookout US 83, NJ 4 . Retrieved 25 April 2015.55514 -Lakewood StationDiv. B Sec. B7, B8, B9(B5, B6, B10)LakewoodN40°04.234' W074°13.674'OceanNational Historic Lookout Register, Lakewood Station Fire Tower US 555, NJ 14 . Retrieved 24 April 2015.

See also List of New Jersey state firewardens Wildfire suppression

References Notes

Citations

External links New Jersey Forest Fire Service (official website) New Jersey Division of Parks and Forestry New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection