Pinelands wildfire reached more than 500 acres before being contained

A wildfire in the Pinelands reached 510 acres Wednesday before crews were able to fully contain it overnight, according to the New Jersey Forest Fire Service.

Forest Fire Service officials notified the public at 8 a.m. Thursday that the blaze, which has been dubbed the County Line Wildfire, had been 100% contained off Jackson Road in Wharton State Forest, the largest state forest and within the Pinelands National Reserve. The fire burned in both Waterford Township, Camden County, and Shamong Township, Burlington County.

No one was injured, and the cause remains under investigation. Forest Fire Service staff was still on the scene as of Thursday morning and will continue to monitor “areas of concern” until there is significant rain.

Officials say smoke may be visible for a while, and motorists should be aware of the hazard.

A nearly four-mile stretch of Jackson Road that was closed as firefighters battled the blaze reopened Wednesday night. However, Goshen Campground within the park will remain closed through Sunday. Burnt Mill, Goshen Pond, and Sleeper Creek trails will all remain closed until the State Park Service and Forest Fire Service clear them for reopening.

To fight the blaze, fire service crews used back-burning, a technique that uses deliberately set fires to contain fires by burning fuel the wildfire needs to expand.

The fire came during the height of wildfire season, which runs from mid-March through mid-May. It broke out the day after state officials sent a notice that there was an elevated risk for the spread of wildfires. In addition, the National Weather Service’s Mount Holly office issued a special statement about the elevated risk for wildfires throughout the state.

The entire state is at high risk of fires because of low relative humidity, a buildup of dead wood on forest floors, and a lack of recent rain.

Officials say wildfire season has been expanding, and the blazes are a growing threat, especially as they near homes and businesses. The County Line Wildfire, while considered a major fire, was relatively small compared to some fires in recent years.

Last year, the Jimmy’s Waterhole Fire tore through 3,859 acres of heavily forested South Jersey in Manchester Township, Ocean County, threatening scores of buildings before being brought under control. And a wildfire in 2022 grew to nearly 15,000 acres, the state’s biggest since 2007. That fire also started in Wharton State Forest, forcing the closure of major recreation areas within the 1.1 million-acre Pinelands National Reserve.

Fires are, however, a natural part of the pine forest cycle. They clear out excess brush, and many pitch pines, the main species of the Pinelands, have late-blooming cones that release their seeds when exposed to heat.