Hammonton Forest Fire Continues to Grow on Second Day

From the Atlantic City Press Published: Wednesday, October 22, 2008

The glow of fire illuminates smoke clouds at Atsion Lake in Shamong Township, N.J. on Tuesday. The forest fire burned through parts of three southern New Jersey counties Tuesday, engulfing hundreds of acres of forest and forcing the closure of Route 206. (AP Photo/Curt Hudson) Curt Hudson

10:30 a.m. Update - HAMMONTON — A fire in Wharton State Forest continued to spread Wednesday morning as Route 206 remained closed from Atsion Lake to the White Horse Pike and a handful of homes and businesses remained evacuated.

“Most of it is low ground, swampy, organic. It’ll tend to burn like a charcoal briquette,” said Bert Plante, division fire warden for the state Forest Fire Service, about 10 a.m.

The fire is growing beyond 1,000 acres, the approximate size of many forest fires in recent years, Plante said. Recently burned forest land is less at risk of damage in this blaze, the warden added.

Officials have not determined precisely where and why the fire began. Fire service helicopters are attempting to map the spread of the flames.



Wharton State Forest Fire Raw Footage 10/22/08