Live Breaking News & Updates on Forest Fire Warden John

New Jersey Herald
Perched at the top of a 45-foot steel tower, high above the trees in the middle of the Kittatinny Ridge in northern Sussex County, is a small cube with walls of glass.
In that cube, with binoculars pressed to his eyes, Nick Valerio can see for miles and miles around him. He, just like the fire watch observers in the other 20 watchtowers throughout New Jersey, is on the lookout for the telltale plumes of smoke from wildfires.
It s a very, very important job up here in the tower, Valerio said as he looked around. It s dispatching, accountability . it s knowing who s going to a fire, who s at the fire, he said of his responsibilities.  ....

Camden County , New Jersey , United States , Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area , Ocean County , Bearfort Mountain , West Milford , Passaic County , Thompson County Park , Wharton State Forest , Bass River State Forest , Cape May County , Ramapo Mountain State Forest , Union Hill , New York , Morris County , Warren County , Burlington County , Middlesex County , Atlantic County , Mount Olive , Belleplain State Forest , Sussex County , Cumberland County , Atlantic Ocean , Nick Valerio ,