[ad_1]
A fast-moving wildfire in a remote part of a state forest in New Jersey threatens to be the state’s biggest fire in 15 years and may have been started by an illegal campfire, officials said on Tuesday.
The so-called Mullica River fire had burned nearly 13,500 acres in the Wharton State Forest, and by noon on Tuesday, 85 percent was under control. officials said. The forest in South Jersey is about 30 miles northwest of Atlantic City.
No injuries were reported, but 18 structures, including several farms and campgrounds, were threatened by fire, officials said.
Authorities said they ruled out a natural cause of the fire, such as lightning. An “illegal, unattended campfire” was found near the source of the Mullica River fire, “that’s why we’re currently investigating,” New Jersey Forest Fire Department Chief Gregory McLaughlin said at a news conference Tuesday.
He added that the place where the makeshift fire first started was not a designated campsite and was in a remote part of the forest.
“We call it a campfire, but I don’t necessarily know if people camped or camped there for any length of time,” he said, adding that researchers suspected “people were passing through.”
Officials said the fire was estimated to consume a little over 15,000 acres.
“Most wildfires are man-made,” New Jersey environmental protection commissioner Shawn M. LaTourette said on Tuesday. “Please, please practice fire safety. Report them when you see them.”
About 75 firefighters arrived on the scene Tuesday using a variety of equipment, including a helicopter that poured water over the fire.
New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy write on twitterHe praised the firefighters who responded to the fire.
Monday was dry and sunny, with slightly above-average temperatures and increased humidity. They made forecasts for the region on Tuesday. Meteorologists said the probability of precipitation was higher on Wednesday.
Chief McLaughlin said at a news conference on Monday that the fire was first detected on Sunday morning, but initial efforts to extinguish it were ineffective as it was difficult for firefighters to reach the remote site of the fire.
About a dozen park visitors were evacuated on Sunday, according to Wharton State Parks superintendent Robert Auermuller.
Chief McLaughlin said 50 people in the adjacent private park had also been moved.
“We were lucky there were no injuries and no structural damage,” said Chief McLaughlin.
He also warned that smoke from the fire could remain for days and that people sensitive to smoke should “stay inside until this place is cleared”.
There are currently 38 active major wildfires in the United States that have consumed a total of about three million acres. According to the National Interagency Fire Service. In New Mexico, two fires that began with predicted burns combined to become the largest wildfire in the state’s recorded history. Fire, Calf Canyon/Hermit’s Peak flameIt burned down over 341,000 acres, an area larger than the city of Los Angeles, destroying hundreds of homes and displacing thousands of residents.
In the western United States, wildfires are increasing in size and intensity, and wildfire seasons are getting longer. Recent research has suggested that the heat and dryness associated with global warming are the main causes of the increase in larger and more powerful fires.
The peak wildfire season in New Jersey is from mid-March to May. according to the state’s Department of Environmental Protection. But Chief McLaughlin said the state “sees fires more frequently in February each year.”
About 7,000 acres of state forests are damaged or destroyed by an average of 1,500 wildfires each year. Chief McLaughlin said most wildfires in the state are below five acres.
this Warren Grove fire in May 2007 It was one of the largest wildfires in the state’s history, which consumed more than 17,000 acres and destroyed four homes. This fire was caused by flares fired by the National Guard pilot.
[ad_2]
Source link