The New Jersey State Forest Fire Service plans to treat 25,000 acres of land with prescribed burns in 2024 after the most active wildfire season in decades.
A witness told NTSB investigators he saw "a solid light traveling quickly at a steep angle" around the time of the crash. Another described seeing a "giant orange ball" falling into the forest.
National Transportation Safety Board Inspector Todd Gunther said at a Friday briefing that the helicopter was at a shallow angle as it hit trees and came down at a "very high speed."
Officials at Wharton State Forest and the New Jersey State Parks, Forests, and Historic Sites are hosting a fire tower climb at the Apple Pie Hill Fire Tower.