PHILADELPHIA (KYW Newsradio) — Two large wildfires that broke out earlier this month in Burlington County, New Jersey were sparked by lightning strikes, fire officials said.
The first fire, named the Flatiron Wildfire, began on June 3 and burned more than 200 acres in Medford, according to the New Jersey Forest Fire Service. The Acorn Hill Wildfire on Monday burned nearly 250 acres of the Brendan T. Byrne State Forest in Woodland Township.
The Acorn Hill fire was completely contained on Tuesday.
The state Forest Fire Service said lightning-caused wildfires are uncommon in New Jersey, representing just 1% of all wildfires that start in the Garden State.
Lightning strikes may not even spark a fire immediately; some lightning-caused wildfires can burn inside a tree for several days before spreading. Officials said that’s what happened in the Acorn Hill Wildfire, following area storms days prior.
