Crews battle massive wildfire in Wharton State Forest
A wildfire in southern New Jersey more than doubled in size Sunday to at least 2,100 acres, according to the New Jersey Forest Fire Service.
The combination of dry air and gusty winds has rapidly extended a forest fire in Wharton State Forest on Sunday.
Two roads and a number of trails have been closed because of the wildfire, the fire service said.
Where is the Forest fire in nj?
Wharton State Forest wildfire rages in Burlington County
Wildfire at Wharton State Forest in Burlington County, N.J. Officials notified the public on Twitter around noon Sunday that the Mullica River Campground, trail and boat launches were closed, as well as kayak and canoe trips in Pineland Adventures.
As of 9 p.m., the fire, which originated near Batsto Village, had encapsulated 600 acres in parts of Mullica Township and Hammonton in Atlantic County, as well as Washington Township and Shamong in Burlington County, according to the New Jersey Forest Fire Service. Ten percent of the fire had been contained.
“Batsto Village and all associated hiking and mountain bike trails are closed to visitors. The Mullica River Campground, Mullica River Trail and boat launches along the Mullica River are closed from the Atsion Recreation Area to Batsto Village,” the service said.
The fire is threatening six structures in the Paradise Lakes Campground, and local volunteer fire departments from Atlantic, Burlington and Ocean counties are providing assistance there and at Batsto Village, the update said.
Six structures are threatened in the Paradise Lakes Campground in the forest, prompting evacuations, officials said. Pineland Adventures suspended its kayak and canoe trips.
How many bodies have been found in the Pine Barrens?
The Central Pine Barrens Of Manorville, NY
As many as 11 bodies have been found in the forest overall. The deaths are thought to be the work of the Butcher of Manorville.
How many acres is Wharton State Forest?
115,000 acres
Wharton State Forest consists of 115,000 acres spread across Burlington and Atlantic Counties. Dry and breezy conditions Sunday, with wind gusts at times close to 30 mph, contributed to the fire, the National Weather Service in Mount Holly said. Winds were expected to subside Sunday evening.
Batsto Village closed.
The Forest Fire Service responded to a wildfire in a remote section of Wharton State Forest, originating along the Mullica River. At 4:30 p.m., the fire was at 100 acres but just three hours later was engulfing 600 acres.
Relative humidity values were as low as 25% in Hammonton and 31% in Oswego Lake, Burlington County, near the site of the fire, according to the Office of the New Jersey State Climatologist. Coupled with sustained winds as high as 23 mph in Hammonton and 28 mph in Oswego Lake and conditions were favorable for wildfire spread.
The northwest winds blew that smoke to the beaches. People on Twitter reported seeing smoke in Atlantic City and Ocean City, around 25 to 30 miles away from the origin of the fire.
Is Wharton State Forest part of the Pine Barrens?
Located in the heart of the Pine Barrens, about 20 miles northwest of Atlantic City and approximately 40 miles southeast of Philadelphia, the area is conveniently accessible from the Atlantic City Expressway, the Garden State Parkway and U.S. Routes 30 and 206.
Are there bears in Wharton State Forest?
State Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) spokesman Larry Hajna said the bear is the same one captured last year in Vineland. At that time, it was released in Wharton State Forest. But the bear re-emerged in recent days in the area of Maple Shade, Mount Laurel and Westampton Township.
Wharton State Forest is the largest state forest in the U.S. state of New Jersey. It is the largest single tract of land in the state park system of New Jersey, encompassing approximately 122,880 acres of the Pinelands northeast of Hammonton.
New Jersey Forest Fire Service
The New Jersey Forest Fire Service (NJFFS) is an agency within the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection.
Founded in 1906 with a focus on wildland fire suppression and fire protection, the Forest Fire Service is the largest firefighting department within the state of New Jersey in the United States with 85 full-time professional firefighting personnel (career civil service positions), and approximately 2,000 trained part-time on-call wildland firefighters throughout the state. Its mission is to protect “life and property, as well as the state’s natural resources, from wildfire”.
Bald eagles, red-tailed hawks, marsh hawks, ospreys, great blue herons, swans, screech owls, great-horned owls, bluebirds, hummingbirds, purple martins, goldfinch, turkeys, beavers, river otters, fox and deer are only some of the wildlife the alert visitor can see.