A wind-driven significant wildfire in Wharton State Forest in Burlington and Atlantic Counties burnt more than 600 acres Sunday evening. According to the New Jersey Fire Fire Service, the fire was only 10% controlled as of 7:30 p.m., with endangered houses and at least one campground evacuated.
Backfires had been set in an attempt to confine the wildfire, which had been reported along the Mullica River in Washington, Shamong, Mullica, and Hammonton Townships in the Pine Barrens.
Additionally, at 5 p.m., the fire department stated no structures were threatened; two hours later, that had changed, with six facilities in Hammonton’s Paradise Lakes Campground under threat. The campsite had to be evacuated. Structure protection was provided by local fire departments from Atlantic and Burlington Counties.
Furthermore, according to the fire department, there were no reported casualties, which initially posted the incident on its Facebook page at about 1 p.m.
Boat launches Along the Mullica River and the Mullica River Campground and Trail were to stay closed until further notice from the Atsion Recreation Area to Batsto Village. The fire department has declared Batsto Village and its accompanying hiking and mountain biking paths inaccessible to tourists, and Pinelands Adventures offered suspended kayaking and canoeing excursions.
A wildfire becomes a “major wildfire” when it surpasses 100 acres, according to the fire department.
Wharton State Forest spans 115,000 acres in Burlington and Atlantic Counties.
Conditions are dry and windy. According to the National Weather Service in Mount Holly, wind gusts of up to 30 mph on Sunday led to the fire. The winds were anticipated to die down Sunday evening.
On Sunday, a forest fire in Wharton State Forest was swiftly spread by a mix of dry air and blustery winds.
According to the New Jersey Forest Fire Service, the fire, which started near Batsto Village, has engulfed 600 acres in sections of Mullica Township and Hammonton in Atlantic County, as well as Washington Township and Shamong in Burlington County, as of 9 p.m. 10% of the fire had been extinguished.
According to officials, six structures are endangered at the forest’s Paradise Lakes Campground, requiring evacuations. Pineland Adventures has cancelled its kayaking and canoeing activities.
Batsto Village was demolished.
The Forest Fire Service responded to a blaze that started along the Mullica River in a remote area of Wharton State Forest. The fire was 100 acres at 4:30 p.m., but it had engulfed 600 acres three hours later.
According to the Office of the New Jersey State Climatologist, relative humidity was as low as 25% in Hammonton. In Oswego Lake, it was 31%, Burlington County, near the fire. As it was combined with continuous gusts of up to 23 mph in Hammonton and 28 mph in Oswego Lake, circumstances were ideal for wildfire spread.
