2 South Jersey Wildfires Burn Through 850+ Acres, Threaten Structures

BURLINGTON COUNTY - A pair of wildfires in Burlington County continue to burn through hundreds of acres Saturday morning, resulting in smoky conditions, threatened structures and the closure of local forest roads, authorities said.

Dubbed the City Line Wildfire, the blaze in Brendan T. Byrne State Forest in Browns Mills was first reported at around noon on Friday, according to the New Jersey Forest Fire Service. As of 4 p.m. Friday, the fire spread to 85 acres; by Saturday morning, the fire grew to 850 acres and was 50 percent contained. No structures are threatened in connection with the fire.

North Branch Road, Glassworks Road, City Line Road and Butler Place Road are all closed as a result of the fire, the New Jersey Forest Fire Service said.

The Buzby Boggs Wildfire in Evesham has closed Kettle Run Road and threatens four structures as of Saturday morning. The wildfire currently spans 60 acres and is zero percent contained.

“Currently, Forest Fire Service crews are improving containment lines and are utilizing a backfiring operation to burn fuel ahead of the main body of fire,” state officials said in the early morning hours of Saturday. “This operation will be ongoing throughout the night.”

Wildfires have sporadically popped up in South Jersey throughout the spring, especially in greener areas along Burlington and Atlantic Counties. Friday's wildfire occurred as New Jersey's air quality continues to recover from smoke and haze that traveled from the wildfires in eastern Canada.

Air pollution from the wildfires in Canada prompted officials to place the region under a Code Orange air-quality alert through Friday, indicating health risks for sensitive groups, including the elderly and people with heart disease, asthma or other lung diseases.