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A4 U.S. NEWS
Thursday 13 april 2023
Big flames, raining embers in New Jersey Pine Barrens fire

By WAYNE PARRY that everything was still
Associated Press here, it was like prayers had
MANCHESTER, N.J. (AP) — been answered.”
The 200-foot wall of flames, Although the state is not in a
the burning embers landing drought, there’s no chance
miles away and the car- of rain until the weekend
loads of evacuees fleeing in the part of New Jersey
to shelter at a high school it where the fire is burning.
all took place in New Jersey The state on Wednesday
but could happen almost banned campfires and im-
every part of the country posed restrictions on char-
this week due to dry condi- coal or gas fires.
tions and strong winds that April is the peak month for
have raised the danger of forest fires in New Jersey, of-
forest fires. ficials said. And despite its
As firefighters worked status as the nation’s most
Wednesday to contain densely populated state,
a fire that tore through 6 40% of the state is forest
square miles of New Jer- land. There are about 1,500
sey’s Pine Barrens, the Na- wildfires a year in New Jer-
tional Weather Service is- sey, according to the For-
sued so-called “red flag est Fire Service.
warnings” on Wednesday Forest fires are a common
for 20 states spanning the In this photo provided by the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection, a massive occurrence in the Pine Bar-
nation. The agency cau- 2,500-acre forest fire burns in Ocean County, N.J., early Wednesday, April 12, 2023, as firefighters rens, a 1.1 million-acre state
tioned that dry, windy con- battle the blaze. Associated Press and federally protected
ditions similar to those in reserve about halfway be-
New Jersey were increas- shelter at a nearby high day afternoon, by which back yard Tuesday night, tween Philadelphia to the
ing the danger of forest school. Helicopters were time the fire had been 60% making them decide to west and the Atlantic coast
fires elsewhere, too. filling large containers with contained. “We saw the evacuate even before the to the east. On Wednesday
The blaze in Manchester, water from a nearby lake red glow in the sky, and fire department knocked afternoon, the Forest Fire
near Joint Base McGuire- Wednesday and dropping every time the wind would on their door at 10:45 p.m. Service was responding to
Dix-Lakehurst, forced the it on the flames. shift, it got worse,” said Ja- “We left so fast I didn’t another blaze in West Mil-
evacuation of around 170 No one was injured and no son Cylenica, who lives in even bring socks,” she said. ford in the northwest potion
homes late Tuesday, with homes were damaged, al- the neighborhood closest “It was like, ‘You grab the of the state near Route 23,
police and fire officials go- though firefighters said 20 to the fire. His wife, Cynthia dog, I’ll grab this and let’s but estimates of the size of
ing door-to-door to ask structures were still consid- Tiemper, said burning em- go.’ When we got back that fire were not immedi-
people to take temporary ered threatened Wednes- bers were landing in their here this morning and saw ately available.q

Michigan researchers find 1914 shipwrecks in Lake Superior

By KATHLEEN FOODY making sure these stories Tonawanda, New York. The within a few miles of the into the lake than the 1914
Associated Press aren’t forgotten,” Mixter steamship C.F. Curtis was first discovery. The organi- accounts suggested the
CHICAGO (AP) — Michigan said. towing the schooner barg- zation operates a museum ships sank, Adkins said.
researchers have found the The vessels owned by the es Selden E. Marvin and in Whitefish Point and regu- There was also damage
wreckage of two ships that Edward Hines Lumber Com- Annie M. Peterson; all 28 larly runs searches for ship- to the Marvin’s bow and
disappeared into Lake Su- pany sank into the ice-cold people aboard were killed. wrecks, aiming to tell “the the Curtis’ stern, making re-
perior in 1914 and hope the lake on Nov. 18, 1914, when The society’s team found lost history of all the Great searchers wonder whether
discovery will lead them a storm swept through as the wreck of the Curtis dur- Lakes” with a focus on Lake a collision contributed, he
to a third that sank at the they moved lumber from ing the summer of 2021 Superior, said Corey Adkins, said. “Those are all ques-
same time, killing nearly 30 Baraga, Michigan, to and the Marvin a year later the society’s content and tions we want to consider
people aboard the trio of communications director. when we go back out this
lumber-shipping vessels. “One of the things that summer,” Adkins said.
The Great Lakes Ship- makes us proud when we Video footage from the
wreck Historical Society an- discover these things is Curtis wreckage showed
nounced the discoveries helping piece the puzzle the maintained hull of the
this month after confirming together of what hap- steamship, its wheel, an-
details with other research- pened to these 28 people,” chor, boiler and still shining
ers. Ric Mixter, a board Adkins said. “It’s been 109 gauges all preserved by
member of the society and years, but maybe there are Lake Superior’s cold waters,
a maritime historian, called still some family members along with other artifacts.
witnessing the discoveries that want to know what Another recording cap-
“a career highlight.” happened. We’re able to tured the team’s jubilant
“It not only solved a chap- start answering those ques- cheers as the words “Selden
ter in the nation’s darkest tions.” E. Marvin” on the hull came
day in lumber history, but In this image taken from video provided by the Great Lakes Both wrecks were discov- into clear view for the first
also showcased a team of Shipwreck Historical Society, lettering identifying the wrecked ered about 20 miles (32 ki- time on a video feed shot
ship as property of the Edward Hines Lumber Company is seen
historians who have dedi- in Lake Superior in August 2022. lometers) north of Grand by an underwater drone at
cated their lives towards Associated Press Marais, Michigan, farther the barge wreck site.q