Firefighters Battle Brush Fire In West Orange

Firefighters in West Orange battled a large brush fire in the township yesterday afternoon, township officials said.

The fire took place in the area of Prospect Avenue and Ridge Road and stretched for three to four acres across Prospect Avenue, West Orange Township officials said. The fire began in a pile of landscape debris located in the area, West Orange Deputy Fire Chief Fred Kingston said.

Firefighters responded to the scene around 1 p.m. on Wednesday, April 15, and the two-alarm blaze was contained by 5 p.m. Personnel from the Forest Fire Service also assisted at the scene, township officials reported.

The State of New Jersey issued a Red Flag Warning on Wednesday due to dry conditions across the state, Kingston said.

A Red Flag Warning means critical fire weather conditions are occurring, or will shortly due to a combination of strong winds, low relative humidity and dry fuels, according to the New Jersey Office of Emergency Management. Any fires that develop may quickly get out of control and become difficult to contain.