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A wildfire that broke out in Wharton State Forest has been fully contained after burning 510 acres. The fire, known as the County Line Fire, started on Tuesday night in Waterford Township, Camden County, and spread into Shamong Township, Burlington County.
The New Jersey Forest Fire Service reported that the fire was fully contained by 8 a.m. on Thursday. No injuries or property damage were reported, but the Goshen Campground was evacuated as a precautionary measure. Several roads near the fire scene were closed, causing some travel delays.
Firefighters used backfiring operations to control the spread of the fire. This technique involves setting controlled fires to burn up fuel and prevent the wildfire from spreading further. 'Once our containment lines are secure. That allows us to start our backfiring process. As the fire backs into the main body of the fire that ground becomes consumed and we start to use that as acreage burned,' said Bill Donnelly, Chief of the New Jersey Forest Fire Service to WPVI-TV.
The cause of the fire remains under investigation. Officials noted that the area had been treated with a prescribed burn within the past few years, which they believe helped slow the spread of the fire.