Residents Wary Of Changes To Firebreak Regulations In Pinelands

BARNEGAT, NJ - Residents in the Four Seasons at Mirage development here spent several years working on a firebreak that would keep flames from fast-moving Pine Barrens forest fires from spreading to their homes.

They paid landscapers, removed tree branches and cleared brush to create a 10-by-20 foot clearing two years ago, according to a report on philly.com

But the state Pinelands Commission is considering making it more difficult to build and maintain firebreaks wider than six feet.

And Bill Brash, president of the New Jersey Fire Safety Council and the other residents who helped construct the Four Seasons' firebreak are worried.

"There are literally thousands of miles of firebreaks in the Pinelands - most of them well over six feet wide - so this proposed amendment would require a permit for nearly all of them," Brash said.

The Four Seasons at Mirage group obtained a $5,000 fire-safety grant to pay for the work and then donated more than $5,000 worth of volunteer efforts. The firebreak surrounds the gated community for miles.

"They've done all this because they want to feel safe in their homes," Brash said.

Firebreaks keep wildfires from spreading by removing forest fuels like shrubs and branches, and also help with controlled burns, according to the report.

"In some cases, these firebreaks are ultimately the only thing between us and our homes and these fires. And when managed properly, they do their job to keep people and property safe," said Moira Flynn, 66, who helped work on the Mirage firebreak.

Pinelands Commission Executive Director Nancy Wittenberg said the Commission would accept written comment on its overall management plan until Nov. 17.

"When we looked at the plan, we realized we didn't even have a clear definition of what a firebreak is," said Wittenberg. "We need to create clear definitions on this and other matters within the plan in our ongoing efforts to protect the Pinelands."

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Photo: Patch file photo