Nicolas Fernandes – nj.com
A wildfire that broke out in Burlington County Tuesday afternoon has now spread to 257 acres and is 30% contained, the New Jersey Forest Fire Service said.
The blaze started about 1 p.m. in a wooded area off Route 542 near River Road in Washington Township, officials said.
By 3:30 p.m., the fire had spread about 75 acres, the fire service said.
No injuries have been reported, but 30 structures are considered to be threatened, officials said.
River Road and Old Church Road are both closed. A section of Route 542 was also closed between Wading River Bridge and Lovers Lane, but has since reopened. The forest fire service has warned that smoke conditions may still be present on the highway.
The fire broke out shortly after the National Weather Service issued a red flag fire risk warning for nine New Jersey counties. The warning includes Atlantic, Burlington, Camden, Cape May, Cumberland, Gloucester, Monmouth, Ocean and Salem counties. It was in affect until 8 p.m. Tuesday.
This comes after three wildfires burned through thousands of acres in New Jersey last week. The fires occurred in West Milford, Manchester and Little Egg Harbor.
Peak wildfire season in New Jersey runs from mid-March through May, according to the fire service.
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Nicolas Fernandes may be reached at nfernandes@njadvancemedia.com.
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