New Jersey crews battle 45-acre wildfire in Wharton State Forest
The New Jersey Forest Fire Service is battling another multi-acre wildfire, this one located at Wharton State Forest in Waterford Township, Camden County.
As of Monday early evening, the NJFFS said the fire is burning at 45 acres and is 50% contained.
No structures are currently threatened, and no evacuations are taking place.
However, fire crews said communities in Atco, Berlin and Waterford are experiencing smoky conditions.
"Once the wind shifted, the smoke was coming into the house," Jessica Swierczynski, who lives next to a staging area for firefighters, said. "Then all of a sudden, we just kept seeing towns arriving. Different towns, different towns, and then we were like, 'oh I think this is a little worse than just a brush fire.'"
It's been a busy seven weeks for firefighters as New Jersey experiences abnormally dry conditions.
The forest fire service said last year from Sept. 15 to Nov. 1, there were 27 fires in the state, burning seven acres.
That same time period this year, 385 fires burned nearly 800 acres.
Amy Yukna also lives near the staging area.
"I want to do a rain dance because it's just so sad to see, every time there's any kind of fire to think about the destruction to wildlife and to the environment. It's just, it's always a sad thing to think about," Yukna said. "Hopefully, there's rain. Last time there was rain, there was a few drops, so just hoping for rain, praying for rain!"
The cause of the wildfire is under investigation.
