Forest Fire Service expands incident notifications, warns against drones and provides media resources
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Summary
The Forest Fire Service said incident updates will be sent by email and text in addition to social posts, outlined criteria for public notifications (100+ acres, evacuations, major road closures), discouraged drone use over fires and provided sign‑up and media assets.
The New Jersey Forest Fire Service said it will expand how it distributes incident updates this wildfire season and urged media and the public to follow official channels for timely information.
Jimmy Douglas, the Forest Fire Service’s digital and communications liaison, said that in addition to Facebook and Twitter the agency will now send incident updates by email and text message so the notifications reach audiences beyond social media users. "Updates will now also be sent by email and text message," he said, and provided the registration link wildfire.nj.gov.
Douglas outlined the agency’s criteria for issuing public notifications: an incident that is expected to reach at least 100 acres (a major wildfire), situations where structures are under evacuation orders, or when major roadways are closed. He cited a recent example in Jackson where multiple small fires along Route 195 forced closure of westbound lanes and prompted an agency notification because of public impact.
The agency will include maps, containment percentage, road closures, structure‑threat estimates and evacuation information in follow‑up posts; larger incidents may be accompanied by formal press conferences or on‑site briefings. Douglas said updates issued once an incident is no longer a threat will include photos and a summary of the response.
Safety and reporter access: Douglas stressed that reporters and camera crews are not allowed on the fire line for safety reasons and emphasized that unauthorized drones pose a serious risk to aircraft and firefighters. "If a drone is detected, all aerial operations will be suspended," he said, and the DEP will share an FAA fact sheet titled "drones and wildfire are a toxic mix" that explains risks and penalties.
Media assets and accounts: Douglas said the agency will provide b‑roll, photos and infographics for reporting and encouraged journalists to sign up for text and email alerts. He listed social handles the agency will use: facebook.com/njforestfireservice, Twitter at @njdepforestfire and Instagram at instagram.com/newjerseyforestfire.
What to expect next: The DEP said frequency of updates will depend on incident scale and complexity; smaller incidents that meet notification criteria may receive updates every 4–5 hours, while large incidents may have updates every 1–2 hours.
