Prescribed burns in southern Ocean County today

While there's still about a month left for controlled burns, New Jersey State Forest Fire Service crews are taking advantage of each dry day with low winds to gain progress against potential summer Pinelands wildfires. Today's prescribed burns take place in Stafford and Lacey Townships.

Another incentive is rain that's expected by tonight, lingering into Wednesday morning, which will help douse any errant embers and moisten dry tinder on the ground.

In Lacey Township, the smoke rises just off the southbound Garden State Parkway, between mile markers 74 and 73.5. Stafford's project is near Haywood Road.

According to the Forest Fire Service web page, today's fire risk is high in Ocean, Monmouth, Burlington and Middlesex Counties. It's moderate in Atlantic, Cape May, Cumberland, and eastern Salen, Gloucester and Camden Counties.

South of the Raritan River, the season continues until April 1. North of that point, it runs until April 10.