Nicholas Valerio, Section Fire Warden at the New Jersey Forest Fire Service will be teaching us how we can enjoy our outdoor fires safely this summer. Typically, the west coast of the United States sees major forest fires every year, but in 2023 the east coast saw major fires as well. West Milford had 3 homes damaged when a homeowner started a backyard fire that spread to over almost 1000 acres near route 23 before it was contained. Record fires in Canada scorched 71,000 square miles of land and we could smell the smoke in New Jersey. Lightning strikes and human activities are the major causes of forest fires and as humans, there are things we can do differently. We may not be able to stop nature from doing her thing, but we can prevent fires when humanly possible. Mark your calendar for Thursday June 13th at 7pm at the West Milford Library.