Massive Wildfire Grows To 1,750 Acres In Wharton State Forest

WATERFORD, NJ — The California Branch Wildfire, which started Saturday afternoon, had ballooned to 1,750 acres as of Sunday morning, causing evacuations and road closures, according to authorities.

By 8 a.m., the fire in Wharton State Forest was 50 percent contained, compared to 11 p.m. Saturday, when the blaze was 1,000 acres but only 20 percent contained, authorities said. The New Jersey Forest Fire Service first announced the fire on social media around 2:15 p.m. Saturday in the area of Jackson Road, and within hours it had grown to hundreds of acres.

The fire crossed the Mullica River on Saturday night and was burning Sunday morning in Shamong and Waterford townships, according to the fire service.

Eighteen structures were near the fire but the blaze was moving away from the homes and none had been evacuated, although the Goshen Pond and Atsion Family campgrounds were evacuated.

Raritan Avenue, Old Atsion Road, 5 Mile Crossing and Goshen Bridge Road were all closed within Wharton State Forest.

The cause of the blaze is under investigation, according to the fire service.