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Investigators determined the wildfire was accidentally started by "an unknown person(s) improperly extinguishing a campfire," Ocean County Prosecutor Bradley Billhimer said in a news release on Wednesday, Sept. 11. The roughly 189-acre wildfire burned near Fishers Pit, a sand and gravel pit in the Bayville section of Berkeley Township.
In its final update, the New Jersey Forest Fire Service said the wildfire was 100 percent contained as of 4 p.m. on Wednesday, Sept. 11.
"Fire crews continued to secure and reinforce containment lines by mopping up hot spots alongside the fire’s perimeter," said NJFFS. "Light smoke continues to impact the neighboring communities along the fire’s perimeter this afternoon."
No buildings were threatened by the fire and no roads were closed by the firefighting operation. Firefighters will stay on the site until the area receives significant rainfall.
The fire was first spotted at the Cedar Bridge fire tower at 4:44 p.m. on Monday, Sept. 9, the New Jersey Forest Fire Service said. The first firefighters encountered "erratic fire behavior" when they arrived.
Heavy smoke around Northern Boulevard and Hickory Lane was noticed in the Barnegat Pines neighborhood of Berkeley. People posted on social media that they also saw smoke and smelled fire several towns away from the scene.
The Ocean County Sheriff's Office was one of many agencies responding to the scene that was also near Beachwood. Aerial photos posted by the sheriff's office showed large stacks of smoke in the air above the woods.
The county fire marshal's office and Berkeley police also assisted in the investigation into the cause of the fire.
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