New Jersey Forest Fire 80% Contained

80 acres burned by Monday

 

Firefighters with the New Jersey Forest Fire Service standing near the lower peak of Mount Tammany monitor the remaining pockets of flames below following a wildfire that began Sunday and spread throughout the area into Monday, Feb. 24, 2020, in the Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area in Hardwick, N.J. (Daniel Freel/New Jersey Herald via AP)

 

HARDWICK TOWNSHIP, N.J. (AP) — A forest fire burning through a popular hiking area that is crossed by the Appalachian Trail and a major interstate highway was about 80% contained by Monday afternoon, New Jersey fire officials said.

The fire began Sunday afternoon on Mount Tammany, a steep, rugged area of New Jersey’s Worthington State Forest and the Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area on the New Jersey-Pennsylvania border. Fire officials said about 80 acres (30 hectares) had burned by Monday.

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A helicopter and 40 firefighters were working to put the fire out Monday, officials said. Greg McLaughlin, chief of the New Jersey Forest Fires Service, said no injuries have been reported.

A cause for the fire had not been determined, officials said.

Chris Franek, the state forest fire service’s assistant division fire warden, said fires on similar terrain usually burn upward but that Sunday’s fire, which started below a trail at an elevation of about 1,400 feet burned downhill because the trail area is rocky and without abundant vegetation. He said fires are rare there at this time of year because the area usually has a layer of snow.

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Incident Commander Eric Weber told WFMZ-TV the ground crews operating at night had to contend with difficult terrain. A helicopter dropped water on the fire Sunday, officials said.

“It’s pretty steep and rugged,” Weber said. “It’s probably the steepest terrain in the entire state of New Jersey.”

This photo provided by Adam Polinger shows a wildfire near the New Jersey side of the Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area near Hardwick Township, N.J., Sunday, Feb. 23, 2020. Firefighters from federal and New Jersey agencies were battling the forest fire that broke out in a popular hiking area near the Pennsylvania border. (Adam Polinger via AP)

Pictures and video shared Sunday on social media showed a wall of flames not far from Interstate 80, which carries traffic to and from New York City and goes through the water gap. It was backed up in both directions.

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Some delays were reported during the Monday morning commute, but officials said the highway was open in both directions. They warned, though, that smoky conditions would likely remain until at least Tuesday and flames would also be visible.

The fire broke out on a sunny February day that saw unusually mild. The Appalachian Trail crosses through the recreation area, but remained open Monday afternoon.

All contents © copyright 2020 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.

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80 acres burned by Monday     HARDWICK TOWNSHIP, N.J. (AP) — A forest fire burning through a popular hiking area that is crossed by the Appalachian Trail and a major interstate highway was about 80% contained by Monday afternoon, New Jersey fire officials said. The fire began Sunday afternoon on Mount Tammany, a steep, […]

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