The New Jersey Forest Fire Service was established by the
state legislature in 1906. During the past century, the New
Jersey Forest Fire Service has evolved from a system of
township firewardens who relied on horses, wagons, shovels, and pine boughs to a team of highly trained and experienced firefighters supported by a modern fleet of vehicles, aircraft, and state-of-the-art technology to assist in the annual battle against wildfires. Each year, New Jersey experiences over 1,600 wildfires that can range in size from less than one acre to more than several thousand acres. Since 1906, forest firewardens and firefighters have battled these wildfires and utilized fire as a public safety tool to protect lives, property, and New Jersey's natural resources.