A wildfire burning in south New Jersey has scorched over 600 acres of land, according to local authorities. Officials initially estimated the fire burned roughly 900 acres but confirmed at least 617 acres of land split between Ocean and Burlington counties so far.
The fire was first discovered around 4 p.m. Sunday near Little Egg Harbor Township as fire crews worked through the night to douse the flames. As of 10 a.m. Monday, around 40% of the fire was contained, according to a local ABC affiliate.
Flames caused sections of Route 9 to close down due to dangerous conditions. Authorities advised residents to evacuate the area voluntarily and established a shelter at Pinelands Regional High School.
MASSIVE SEQUOIA STILL SMOLDERING FOLLOWING 2020 CALIFORNIA WILDFIRE
UPDATE: Video from Little Egg Harbor Township Police shows a wildfire in the Bass River State Forest. Details HERE: https://t.co/DDbW3G0Lif pic.twitter.com/NaNUobugEl
— NBC10 Philadelphia (@NBCPhiladelphia) May 17, 2021
Roughly 70 firefighters with the New Jersey Forest Fire Service worked to get the blaze under control Sunday into Monday. Nearly 150 structural firefighters from 39 fire departments arrived to protect nearby homes.
No casualties or home damage was reported as of Monday morning.
Firefighters are commencing “burnout operations,” in which they start smaller, controlled fires to protect nearby homes.
Residents are still requested to avoid the area at this time. The cause of the fire is unknown and remains under investigation.
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The Washington Examiner contacted the state’s forest fire service but did not immediately receive a response.
