Fire is an essential element of the Pine Barrens ecosystem; many of the pine trees there rely on heat from fires to release seeds from their cones, providing for the growth of new trees.

“We thought this fire would jump the highway, and in that case, we’d be facing big ... pine beetles, which have killed “tens of thousands, if not hundreds of thousands of trees” in the ...

Credit: U.S. Geological Survey/Wanmei Liang The Pine Barrens, also known as the Pinelands, is located in southeastern New Jersey. It's a sprawling ecosystem covering about 1.1 million to 1.4 ...

WHYY thanks our sponsors — become a WHYY sponsor A wildfire left trees in the National Pine Barrens charred in Manchester Township, N.J., on April 12, 2023. (Kimberly Paynter/WHYY) New Jersey ...