Wildfire In Gloucester Twp. Forces Residents To Evacuate

GLOUCESTER TOWNSHIP, NJ — Gusty winds fueled a wildfire that forced multiple Gloucester Township residents to evacuate their homes last weekend.

A patrolling officer and an alert resident noticed the fire around 9:30 p.m. Saturday. It burned in a forest that surrounds Primrose Lane — a residential street off of Erial Road.

Two homes were temporarily evacuated as a precaution, but the residents have returned home, police said.

About 100 firefighters and first responders from the local to state levels contained the fire, which reached about 40 acres.

No injuries or property damage were reported.

Erial Road was closed for about four hours, while portions of Hickstown Road were closed intermittently so firefighters could access the forest.

"Although there is no imminent danger or hazards reported, there may be some fire apparatus remaining on location to ensure no hot spots flare up overnight," the Gloucester Township Police Department said on Sunday.

The cause of the fire is under investigation. Anyone with information on how the fire started can contacted the GTPD by calling 856-228-4500, calling the agency's anonymous tip line at 856-842-5560, or submitting an anonymous tip online.

Gusty winds and dry conditions fueled several wildfires around the state last weekend.

New Jersey has been in a drought since last year, when several months of below-average precipitation culminated in a six-week period last fall with next to no rainfall whatsoever.

During the rainless October, an unprecedented amount of wildfires broke out throughout the state.