A New Jersey forest fire damaged dozens of homes

A New Jersey forest fire damaged dozens of homes

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The fire damaged dozens of houses and at least two mixed-use buildings were destroyed in the fire, but “no houses were substantially damaged,” said the New Jersey Forest Fire Service on a Sunday night.

Residents who were evacuated on Sunday night from Brick Township were allowed to return home from 7 pm, the post said.

As the fire hit the Jackson and Brick Township area, about 50 miles east of Philadelphia, people who had not yet been evacuated on Sunday afternoon began to prepare to leave the area should the fire spread further, according to with NJ.com.

“I’ve never seen anything like it before,” said Roni Anderson, who said he saw a helicopter flying over the fire on Sunday afternoon, to NJ.com.

Anderson said her husband decided to drive home from work, in case they had to evacuate, but they didn’t even make it to the neighborhood due to the fire, according to NJ.com.

Instead, she told the publication, her husband parked the car in a store and returned home on foot. The couple packed their important documents and photos at another health center in preparation for the evacuation.

The cause of the fire is under investigation

The fire was first reported at around 1:30 pm in Lakewood Township. Fueled by strong winds, the flames hit the Garden State Parkway, New Jersey Forest Fire Service spokesman Maris Gabliks said during a news conference on Sunday.

Parts of the road remained closed on Monday morning, while firefighters continued to fight the fire, a tweet New Jersey Department of Transportation said.

Although the source of the fire has been identified, the cause remains under investigation, said an update published in the New Jersey Forest Fire Service. The agency said the cause was not a prescribed burn.

Officials said in the update that two mixed-use buildings were destroyed and some auxiliary structures, such as sheds, were impacted in the residential area.

On Sunday night, the fire was at least 50% contained, Gabliks told reporters during the press conference.

Firefighters must remain in the area fighting the flames during the night to fully contain the fire.

Major forest fires are rare in New Jersey

The National Meteorological Service issued a Red Flag Alert and a wind alert in the area late Sunday afternoon, warning of “critical fire climatic conditions” due to strong winds of up to 80 km / h and low relative humidity.

The wind warning and warning remain in effect until 5 pm and midnight on Monday, respectively.

“Larger forest fires are uncommon or rare in NJ,” said meteorologist Michael Guy of CNN. A combination of very low humidity and warm temperatures in the area may have contributed to the spread.

“We have extremely strong winds with low humidity that help the fire to grow, but also impair the ability of firefighters to contain and control the fire,” said Gabliks.

CNN’s Ganesh Setty, Joe Sutton and Artemis Moshtaghian contributed to this report.

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