New Jersey wildfires could burn for ‘a couple of months’ officials warn

USA – A pair of wildfires in Burlington County — one in Browns Mills and another in Evesham — could burn for months, as officials say the area needs precipitation

A pair of wildfires that firefighters are currently attempting to contain in New Jersey could continue to burn for “a couple of months” officials warned, as the area is in need of precipitation.

“You could see these fires not be declared out for a couple months, worst case,” said Scott Freedman, deputy chief of the Evesham Township Fire-Rescue.

During an event on Saturday morning, intended to update the response on a pair of wildfires in Burlington County — one in Browns Mills and another in Evesham — Freedman said that the region has seen above normal temperatures and below normal precipitation this year, leading to conditions that make it easier for wildfires to spread.

And, the forecast for the near future, he said, doesn’t seem to call for much rain to help extinguish these fires.

“It doesn’t look like there’s a whole lot of relief going forward,” said Freedman. “Up until Mother Nature speaks, it’s just a best guess.”

Overnight, firefighters worked to contain these wildfires.

Even though these fires may not be able to be considered fully extinguished for some time, Bill Donnelly, assistant state fire warden for the New Jersey Forest Fire Service, said officials expect the fires to be “in good shape” by the end of the day, Saturday.

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“Everything should be in good shape here by the end of the day,” he said.

In the case of the wildfire, which officials have called the “City Line Wildfire,” that is burning in the area of City Line and Butler Place roads in Brendan T. Byrne State Forest in Browns Mills, as of Saturday evening, officials said the fire had consumed about 850-acres and is now 90% contained.

No structures are threatened in this incident and crews are working the perimeter of the wildfire to ensure it doesn’t spread further.

As to the incident that officials are calling the “Buzby Boggs Wildfire” that is burning in Evesham Township, officials said the fire has consumed 700 acres and, as of Saturday evening, was 65% contained.

Also, this fire, Tom Gerber, a forest fire warden with the New Jersey Forest Fire Service, said, threatens five structures and has caused the closure of Kettle Run Road between Braddock Mill Road and Sycamore Ave.

Fire crews, he said, are protecting these residential structures and no one has been evacuated.

Officials said that an investigation is ongoing to determine what might have caused these wildfires.

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