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Police & Fire
NJ Forest Fire Service Contains 418-Acre Wildfire In Ocean County NJ Forest Fire Service Contains 418-Acre Wildfire In Ocean County
NJ Forest Fire Service Contains 418-Acre Wildfire In Ocean County The New Jersey Forest Fire Service and local firefighters contained a 418-acre wildfire. The fire was considered 100% contained by 7:30 p.m. on Tuesday, March 7, according to the Forest Fire Service. It had burned since early afternoon Tuesday. The wildfire at Stafford Forge Wildlife Management Area.New Jersey Forest Fire Service The fire was centered in the Stafford Forge Wildlife Management Area – Governor’s Branch Wildfire in Little Egg Harbor Township. No one was reported hurt.  The wildfire Tuesday in Little Egg Harbor Township.New Jersey Forest Fire Service There were no imm…

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by Jon Craig
Police & Fire
Firefighters Battle Wildfire On Jersey Shore Firefighters Battle Wildfire On Jersey Shore
Firefighters Battle Wildfire On Jersey Shore Firefighters were battling a large wildfire on Tuesday afternoon, March 7, authorities said. The New Jersey Forest Fire Service said it was responding to an active wildfire off Route 539 west of the Garden State Parkway in Little Egg Harbor Township. The wildfire in Stafford Forge Wildlife Management Area had reached 125 acres in size and was 0% contained, the Forest Fire Service said mid-afternoon. A total of 16 structures were in danger of burning, the fire service said, and local firefighters were assisting in fire protection. Route 539 was closed from Forge Road to Warren Grove Spur …

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by Jon Craig
News
Wildfire Destroyed 98 Acres Of Wharton State Forest, 100 Percent Contained Wildfire Destroyed 98 Acres Of Wharton State Forest, 100 Percent Contained
Wildfire Destroyed 98 Acres Of Wharton State Forest, 100 Percent Contained A wildfire that broke out Tuesday, July 12 at Wharton State Forest is 100 percent contained, according to the New Jersey Forest Fire Service. On Wednesday, July 13, the forest fire service reported that the fire had consumed about 98 acres of forest. The fire was located off of Maple Branch and Bulltown roads in the area of Tylertown and Batsto Village, according to the fire service. Forest Fire Service crews conducted a backfiring operation which aided in containment efforts, they said. Batsto Village has reopened. The Buttonwood Campground remains closed. The Batona Trail has reope…

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by Jon Craig
Police & Fire
Wildfire Reported In Wharton State Forest Wildfire Reported In Wharton State Forest
Wildfire Reported In Wharton State Forest The New Jersey Forest Fire Service is responding to an active wildfire in Wharton State Forest. It had consumed 40 acres and was 15 percent contained, the NJFFS said. The fire is located off of Maple Branch Road in the area of Tylertown and Batsto Village, according to the fire service. CHECK BACK FOR UPDATES

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by Jon Craig
Police & Fire
Wildfire In South Jersey Consumes 315 Acres, Fully Contained Wildfire In South Jersey Consumes 315 Acres, Fully Contained
Wildfire In South Jersey Consumes 315 Acres, Fully Contained A wildfire in Brendan T. Byrne State Forest in Burlington and Ocean counties consumed at least 315 acres, but firefighters now have the blaze 100% contained, authorities said on Monday, June 27 In addition, seven structures previously considered threatened by the forest fire in Manchester and Woodland townships are no longer in danger, the New Jersey Forest Fire Service said on Facebook. Firefighters have made "substantial progress,'' the state agency previously said. “Earlier (Sunday) evening Forest Fire Service crews conducted a backfiring operation to aid in containment,” the Forest Fir…

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by Jon Craig
News
Massive NJ Forest Wildfire Is 95 Percent Contained, Officials Say Massive NJ Forest Wildfire Is 95 Percent Contained, Officials Say
Massive NJ Forest Wildfire Is 95 Percent Contained, Officials Say A massive wildfire that destroyed 13,500 acres in New Jersey's largest forest is 95 percent contained, authorities said. The New Jersey Forest Fire Service released the latest update on Wednesday, June 22.  The fire at Wharton State Forest extended to the townships of Washington, Shamong, Hammonton and Mullica. There is an ongoing investigation into an illegal campfire which has been determined to be the cause of the fire, state officials said. Anyone with information can contact the Division B office at 609-726-9010.

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by Jon Craig
News
Firefighters Make 'Substantial Progress' Battling 13,500-Acre Wildfire At Wharton State Forest Firefighters Make 'Substantial Progress' Battling 13,500-Acre Wildfire At Wharton State Forest
Firefighters Make 'Substantial Progress' Battling 13,500-Acre Wildfire At Wharton State Forest The New Jersey Forest Fire Service said firefighters had made "substantial progress" in containing a wildfire that had consumed 13,500 acres. About 85 percent of the fire was contained, the fire service reported on Tuesday, June 21. An illegal campfire is a possible cause, state fire officials said. The fire — in the state's largest forest — extended to Washington, Shamong, Hammonton and Mullica townships. Routes 206 and 542 reopened on Tuesday. The fire began on Sunday, June 19. The last fire that was at least 15,000 acres was a 2007 blaze that consumed 17,000 acres of woods in Bu…

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by Jon Craig
Police & Fire
Wildfire Burns 2,100 Acres Of Wharton State Forest Wildfire Burns 2,100 Acres Of Wharton State Forest
Wildfire Burns 2,100 Acres Of Wharton State Forest A wildfire consumed more than 2,100 acres of Wharton State Forest in South Jersey from Sunday, June 19 into Monday. Fueled by dry and breezy conditions, approximately 20 percent of the blaze had been contained as of midnight. The fire consumed parts of the park spanning Washington, Shamong, Hammonton and Mullica Townships. Road closures: ⚠️ Route 206 – from Chew Road to Stokes Road (beginning 12 a.m.) ⚠️ Route 542 – from Green Bank Road to Columbia Road Park closures: Batsto Village and all associated hiking and mountain bike trails were closed to visitors.  The Mullica Rive…

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by Cecilia Levine
News
'Red Flag' Warning Issued For NJ As Risk Of Serious Fires Rises Dramatically 'Red Flag' Warning Issued For NJ As Risk Of Serious Fires Rises Dramatically
'Red Flag' Warning Issued For NJ As Risk Of Serious Fires Rises Dramatically UPDATE: A "red flag" warning continues throughout the end of the week in New Jersey out of concern that dry conditions with gusty winds could turn what ordinarily would be common brush blazes into fiercely destructive wildfires. That means watching your butts, smokers. And no campfires, bonfires or charcoal cookouts. A hazardous weather warning from the National Weather Service continued through Thursday, April 28, as well as Friday, because of the conditions. Those are: wind gusts of 35 to 45 miles an hour in some areas, humidity as low as 15% and a snowball's chance in hell of rain any …

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by Jerry DeMarco
News
FIRE ON THE MOUNTAIN: 75% Of Blaze Contained, Operations Again Paused Overnight FIRE ON THE MOUNTAIN: 75% Of Blaze Contained, Operations Again Paused Overnight
Fire ON THE Mountain: 75% Of Blaze Contained, Operations Again Paused Overnight UPDATE: Crews got 75% of a Ramapo Mountains wildfire doused before breaking again until morning. The New Jersey Forest Fire Service initially estimated that the wildfire covered 50 acres. They revised that figure to 40 acres late Thursday afternoon, April 21. It took several hours to contain roughly half the blaze after it broke out around 3:30 p.m. Wednesday in Mahwah off Bear Swamp Road in the Ramapo Valley County Reservation, north of Camp Glen Gray, and quickly spread. Another quarter was knocked down on Thursday as crews built and reinforced containment lines. No injuries were repor…

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by Jerry DeMarco
News
Big Brush Fire At Bergen-Rockland Border Threatens Home Big Brush Fire At Bergen-Rockland Border Threatens Home
Big Brush Fire At Bergen-Rockland Border Threatens Home A brush fire along the Bergen/Rockland border temporarily closed the Ramapo Reservation after sending a column of smoke skyward that could be seen in Westchester. A live wire smoldering on a tree apparently ignited the blaze on Brandt Road in the Ramapo Mountains in Hillburn, bringing firefighters from both counties, shortly before 4:30 p.m. Friday, April 15. Of immediate concern was the non-profit Tevaland animal sanctuary on the New York side, as well as a home on Split Rock Road in Mahwah with propane tanks. Neither was damaged, responders said. "We are grateful to all the firefighters…

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by Jerry DeMarco
Police & Fire
Jersey Shore Wildland Arson Investigation 'At An Impasse,' Prosecutor Says Jersey Shore Wildland Arson Investigation 'At An Impasse,' Prosecutor Says
Jersey Shore Wildland Arson Investigation 'At An Impasse,' Prosecutor Says Authorities from the Jersey Shore say they have been unable to identify those responsible for setting a suspicious wildfire last month. The fire consumed 167 acres of land in Brick and Lakewood in March, according to Ocean County Prosecutor Bradley D. Billhimer. A business was destroyed and hundreds of area residents had to be evacuated, Billhimer said.  A firefighter suffered a heart attack while battling the blaze, which jumped over the Garden State Parkway, he said.  Fire officials identified the fire’s origin "along with our conclusion that the fire was intentiona…

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by Jon Craig