A new wildfire detection tower has officially been unveiled in Jackson Township, marking a significant upgrade to fire prevention infrastructure in Ocean and Monmouth counties as the state enters peak wildfire season.

The New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection, led by Acting Commissioner Ed Potosnak, dedicated the new Veterans Fire Tower this week at a site off East Veterans Highway. The 133-foot structure is the first new fire tower built in the state in 78 years and is designed to strengthen early wildfire detection capabilities across a region particularly vulnerable to forest fires.

Officials said the tower will help protect more than 516,000 residents and nearly 200,000 homes across Ocean and Monmouth counties. It replaces the former Lakewood Fire Tower, located roughly five miles east, and is now part of a statewide network of 21 towers used for spotting fires in their earliest stages.

The tower, constructed by Fitzpatrick & Associates Inc. at a cost of approximately $2 million, was funded through Corporate Business Tax revenue under the Preserve New Jersey Act.

During the dedication, Forest Fire Service crews also demonstrated prescribed burn operations, a key wildfire mitigation strategy that reduces dry vegetation and other fuels that can accelerate fire spread—particularly in densely populated regions like central Ocean County.

Peak wildfire season in New Jersey runs from mid-March through mid-May. The tower is also dedicated to New Jersey veterans in honor of the nation’s 250th anniversary this year.