As Wildfire Burned, JCP&L Volunteers Donated, Planted Trees Nearby

First, Jersey Central Power & Light (JCP&L) restored power to its customers. Now, its volunteers are restoring the environment.

With the smell of smoke still strong in the air as the Jones Road wildfire continued to burn just over 10 miles to the south, volunteers from JCP&L’s Green Team helped plant more than 300 trees – donated by its parent company, FirstEnergy – at Toms River’s Winding River Park on April 25.

“We’re proud of our commitment to restoring nature and building a greener, cleaner, healthier community for our customers,” said Ray Vender, advanced forestry specialist and JCP&L’s Green Team chairperson.

The 316 trees planted at Winding River Park include native species, such as American beech, beach plum, flowering dogwood, sweetbay magnolia, sugar maple and northern bayberry. The event was organized with Toms River leaders as part of FirstEnergy’s Earth and Arbor Day environmental efforts. 

Just two days prior, N.J. Forest Fire Service officials at the wildfire command post in nearby Lacey Township had asked JCP&L to de-energize power lines for the safety of fire crews battling the blaze, resulting in a power outage affecting 25,000 customers. After inspections, power was restored to all customers the next day, but the fire continued to burn in parts of Lacey and Ocean townships, growing to more than 15,000 acres in size.

“We have Green Teams volunteers here planting trees in Toms River that 48 hours ago were at the site of the fire as a part of that response,” said Vender.

Last year, FirstEnergy surpassed 100,000 trees donated and planted since launching the Green Team program in 2020. Nearly 650 employees volunteered to plant and donate nearly 34,000 trees in 2024, including 3,000 in New Jersey, and a goal was set to donate and plant 25,000 more in 2025.

It’s not the first time JCP&L’s Green Team has stepped in to restore trees in a devastated area. In 2023, Green Team volunteers planted more than a dozen trees in Howell Township after a tornado came through the town. 

“We live and work in one of the greatest states in the country, with beautiful parks, lush forests and diverse wildlife practically in our backyards,” said Vender. “And just as we are committed to restoring power in areas devasted by natural disasters and wildfires, we believe strongly in restoring the beauty in nature and our environment.”