‘Wall of fire with 200-foot flames’: Pinelands wildfire grows to 3,859 acres but crews make progress

A wildfire fanned by warm, breezy, dry conditions shot flames hundreds of feet into the air Tuesday and overnight into Wednesday in Ocean County near Lakehurst, racing through 3,859 acres and threatening buildings and people.

The fire began Tuesday afternoon in Manchester Township, according to the New Jersey Forest Fire Service, and has been dubbed “Jimmy’s Waterhole Fire” because of its proximity to a location firefighters had focused on while initially trying to contain the blaze.

Area communities fall within a nearly one million-acre area of protection in South Jersey under the Pinelands Commission and are surrounded by thick woods. As a result, crews went door to door starting about 11 p.m. Tuesday, asking people to evacuate. The evacuation order was lifted Wednesday, and major roads reopened after the fire service said 60% of the fire had been contained as of Wednesday afternoon.

Shortly before 8:30 p.m., the fire was reported to be 75% contained and all remaining road closures were set to be lifted by 9 p.m.

No one was injured, but the entire state has been listed as being at very high risk for wildfires because of current weather conditions. Officials said they are investigating the origin of the fire but did not yet have a cause. They thanked emergency crews for working overnight.

John Cecil, assistant commissioner for the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection, said he went to the fire at 9:30 p.m. Tuesday with crews.

“This fire exhibited extreme fire behavior,” Cecil said. “We saw a wall of fire with 200-foot flames, raining fire embers. I don’t mean to be dramatic, but this was a severe situation.”

Crews initially attempted to keep the fire west of Route 539, but it jumped toward Lakehurst. About 75 Forest Fire Service personnel were still battling the blaze as of Wednesday afternoon. About 32 other fire companies responded. Officials said they were able to tap plans already in place to protect homes and businesses.

“This definitely had high potential to be extremely catastrophic,” said Greg McLaughlin, chief of the New Jersey Forest Fire Service. “We had a really well coordinated effort and good team cohesion between all the agencies that were here last night.”

Flames came as if on cue with the start of wildfire season, which runs mid-March through May when the weather warms up, humidity decreases, and winds pick up. The fire began near the edge of Bass River State Forest off Route 539. The area is near the New Jersey Air National Guard’s Warren Grove Range and Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst.

Flames raced through federal, state, and private property in the area as the fire grew to 2,500 acres overnight and continued to increase in size Wednesday morning.

Mandatory evacuations were ordered in Lakehurst from Division Street to Route 70, Horicon Avenue, and Beckerville Road. About 170 structures were evacuated in Manchester and Lakehurst. About 20 horses had to be moved from a farm.

Those evacuation orders are now lifted, but a score of buildings still remained threatened.

Evacuated residents were relocated to the Manchester Township High School and supported by the American Red Cross, Manchester Township EMS, Manchester Police Department, and the Ocean County Sheriff’s Department, according to the fire service.

The New Jersey Forest Fire Service issued an alert last week reminding the public that it is wildfire season and that people should be cautious with outdoor fires. By far, most wildfires are caused by people. Officials also cite climate change as a contributor.

“The continuing impacts of climate change mean our state is experiencing more severe weather conditions, storms, wind and drought that can result in a longer wildfire season, which is why it is more important than ever that the public exercise caution and take steps to help protect their homes and property,” Environmental Protection Commissioner Shawn M. LaTourette said in the alert.

The state’s vast Pinelands area is particularly vulnerable in spring because trees and bushes do not yet have full leaves, which leads to more sun reaching the forest floor and, when coupled with breezy or windy days, increasingly dry fallen leaves and pine needles, officials say. The dry underbrush acts as kindling.

New Jersey has already had an early start to wildfire season this year, with February particularly dry and warm. As of the beginning of April, the Forest Fire Service had responded to 315 wildfires, which have burned 920 acres. The largest of these fires was the Governors Branch Wildfire on March 7 in the Stafford Forge Wildlife Management Area in Little Egg Harbor, Ocean County.

There’s been a lack of rain and snow in South Jersey where forest fuels are most volatile, including the New Jersey pine plains. The pine needles and leaves were never compacted by ice and snow this past winter, which allowed fuels on the ground to rapidly dry out on breezy or windy days.

Last year, the state experienced the 11,129-acre Mullica River Wildfire in Wharton State Forest, the largest wildfire in New Jersey since 2007.