A large-scale wildfire in Wharton State Forest spread to 2,100 acres by late Sunday and was expected to burn overnight, officials said.
Fueled by dry and ventilated conditions, the blaze, which engulfed Washington, Shamong, Hammont and the city of Mulika, was contained by only 20% on Sunday night as firefighters battled the blaze.
The view from above from a 6abc.com helicopter on Monday morning showed many large streams of smoke pouring into the sky from the forest.
No one was injured.
The fire was near six structures at the Hampton Paradise Lakes campsite, with local volunteer fire departments from Atlantic, Burlington and Ocean counties providing protection for both the camp and the village of Batsto, the New Jersey Forest Fire Department said.
Route 206 in Hampton remains closed between Route 613 (Aston Road) and Route 536 (Chews Road), the U.S. Department of Transportation said Monday morning.
A wildfire swept through a remote area of Wharton Forest near the Mulika River on Sunday, engulfing 100 acres by late afternoon, government officials said. New Jersey Department of the Environment
The Village Batsto and all associated hiking and mountain biking trails are closed to visitors. The Mulika River campsite, the Mulika River trail and boat boats on the Mulika River are closed from the Asion recreation area to the village of Batsto. Pinelands Adventures stopped kayaking and canoeing.
At 19:25 on Sunday, the fire burned about 600 acres and was controlled by 10%. A new update on the fire should be available around 10:30 a.m. Monday, officials said.
According to the Department of State Parks, Wharton is the largest single plot of land in the state of New Jersey, occupying 122,800 acres of pine forest, meadows, lakes and rivers within the Pinelands National Reserve in Burlington County and the Atlantic Ocean.
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You can contact Jeff Goldman at jeff_goldman@njadvancemedia.com.
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