Huge Wildfire Near Livingston Nearly Contained (See Latest Update)

This article was updated at 9 p.m. on Oct. 27

LIVINGSTON, NJ — A massive wildfire near Route 10 in North Jersey is nearly contained as of Sunday evening, but smoke from the blaze is expected to linger until the next rain comes, authorities say.

According to the New Jersey Forest Fire Service, crews remain at the scene of a fire that broke out Saturday in the area of Route 10 (Mount Pleasant Avenue) and Eisenhower Parkway in Livingston.

The fire is currently sized at 192 acres, a figure that grew over the weekend. As of 8 p.m. on Sunday, it was 90 percent contained, authorities said.

The cause of the fire remains under investigation, authorities added.

According to the Livingston Fire Department, extremely dry conditions, winds and difficulty in accessing the forest with no roadways presented “considerable challenges” for firefighters battling the blaze.

No buildings caught fire, and there were no reported injuries, Fire Chief Chris Mullin said.

At the peak of the fire, 48 structures had been deemed "threatened" by the blaze. There were evacuations of commercial structures at both 530 West Mount Pleasant Avenue, and 277 Eisenhower Parkway, local fire officials said. As of Sunday evening, no structures are in "threatened" status.

All roads that were closed during the fire have reopened as of Sunday evening.

The fire sent smoke wafting throughout the area. Residents living nearby were advised to keep windows closed.

The smoke is expected to remain present until "significant rain" falls over the fire area, the New Jersey Forest Fire Service said.

According to the National Weather Service, the next chance of rain in the Livingston area will come Thursday evening or Friday.

The Forest Fire Service shared unified command with the Livingston Fire Department, and assisted the department with engines and personnel. A helicopter with a 350-gallon water capacity was also deployed.

Several fire departments in Essex and Morris counties pitched in to the response effort, as well as the Livingston Police Department, Essex County Sheriff's Office and EMS crews from Livingston and the surrounding communities.

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