A fast-moving wildfire in a remote stretch of New Jersey state forest was threatening to become the state’s largest fire in 15 years, officials warned Monday.
The blaze, called the Mulika River, burned about 12,000 acres in Wharton State Forest and was 70 percent under control Monday night, officials said. The forest in South Jersey is about 30 miles northwest of Atlantic City.
No casualties were reported, but 18 structures, including several farms and campsites, were at risk of the fire, officials said. They also said they ruled out natural causes in their investigation.
“I think it’s important to think about the fact that most of our forest fires are man-made,” Sean Latourt, New Jersey’s commissioner for environmental protection, told a news conference Monday. He noted that illegal campfires that have not been fully extinguished pose a risk.
Gov. Phil Murphy said on Twitter that he was grateful to the crews who work around the clock to control the fire.
While the weather was dry and sunny on Monday, slightly above average temperatures and rising humidity were forecast for Tuesday. A greater chance of precipitation was expected on Wednesday.
The fire was first opened Sunday morning, but immediate efforts to put it out were ineffective due to its remote location, which was difficult to access, said Gregory McLaughlin, the New Jersey Fire Chief, told a news conference Monday.
In the western United States, forest fires are increasing in size and intensity, and forest fire seasons are lengthening. Recent research shows that the heat and dryness associated with global warming are the main reasons for the increase in larger and stronger fires.
The peak season for wildfires in New Jersey is from mid-March to May, according to the U.S. Department of the Environment. About 7,000 acres of the state’s forests are damaged or destroyed each year by an average of 1,500 forest fires.
Warren Grove’s May 2007 fire was one of the largest wildfires in the state’s history, engulfing more than 17,000 acres and destroying four homes. The fire was caused by flares fired by a National Guard pilot.
An aerial video of the fire in the Mulika River on Monday shows thick streams of smoke rising over the forest.
Miles off the coast of Jersey, some beachgoers told ABC 6, a television station in Philadelphia, that they had seen foggy conditions, with a woman saying it smelled of “overactive barbecue smoke.” At least one man said he saw ashes on his car.
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