SOUTH JERSEY (KYW Newsradio) — After three recent wildfires burned through parts of state forests in South Jersey, officials said two of them are now 100% contained and the largest of them is 95% contained.
“Our biggest fire in quite some time,” Wharton State Forest Superintendent Rob Auermuller said about the Mullica River fire that started on Father’s Day. It consumed nearly 14,000 acres, but it is almost fully contained.
The only remaining section still on fire is at a swamp deep in the woods, and officials hope rain will eventually finish it off.
“That fire affected 80 miles of hiking trails and mountain biking trails [and] 15 miles of our river systems,” said Auermuller.
Auermuller said the trails are all open, and camping is expected to resume this weekend.
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“We are very optimistic and fairly confident that the river systems will reopen this Saturday as well,” he added. “These are primitive camps. There were no structures necessarily burned. There are no structures in these campgrounds.”
The 315-acre fire in Brendan T. Byrne State Forest and the most recent 98-acre fire along Maple Branch Road in Wharton State Forest are both 100% contained. Most recreational areas affected by the Maple Branch Road fire have reopened.
The New Jersey Forest Fire Service controlled these fires short-handed. Their chief, Greg McLaughlin, said peak wildfire season there is in the spring, so several crews have been helping out in Alaska and Texas.
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“We’re certainly not going to commit to things if we don’t feel we have the ability to cover things here,” said McLaughlin. “New Jersey is our first priority.”
WIth hot and dry temperatures expected the next few days, McLaughlin said it is very important to keep a really close eye on fires, whether at a campsite or in your backyard.