West Deptford wildfire 100% contained after threatening homes along Delaware River

PHILADELPHIA (KYW Newsradio) — A wildfire in Gloucester County sent crews from across South Jersey to an area near the Delaware River on Saturday to contain the blaze.

Emergency officials reported a 160-acre fire in the area of Red Bank Avenue and Hessian Avenue in West Deptford Township, near the Sunoco refinery property.

Gloucester County Emergency Management reports smoke plumes and falling ash as far south and east as Glassboro and Washington Township.

Brenda, who lives in a neighborhood in West Deptford, said it started as a beautiful day before the sky turned yellow.

“Then I went back to my kitchen, and my dog needed to go out. When I opened the deck, I noticed ashes on my deck," she said.

She says her eyes began to burn, and when her daughter called to be picked up from the nearby high school, she saw all her neighbors outside.

“And everybody’s looking at the sky, and I see a lot of traffic also in this area, and I listen to all the police and fire trucks," she said.

The wildfire originated in the woods behind Brenda’s neighborhood, which is also right on the Delaware River. Residents across it in South Philadelphia could also see the smoke.

Crews from throughout Gloucester County, the state Forest Fire Service, and fire boats from both sides of the Delaware River responded to the scene. The fire was fully contained by 6 p.m. Saturday.

Officials say 100 structures were threatened, with voluntary evacuations in place.

The cause of the fire is under investigation.

A portion of Hessian Avenue off Red Bank Avenue was closed during the blaze but reopened by early Saturday evening.

Brenda said the fire was a first in her 13 years in the neighborhood.

"Never. Nothing like that. This is our first event like that," she said.