Fire Rescue News - Firefighters battle 250-acre blaze in Barnegat Township forest
By MICHELLE LEE Staff Writer | Posted: Sunday, March 21, 2010 | 0 comments
BARNEGAT TOWNSHIP — About 200 firefighters were called Saturday to battle a fire that burned more than 250 acres of forest in western Barnegat Township. Huge clouds of smoke could be seen over the treetops well into the night, and the firefighters will continue to fight the blaze today.
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shortly after 1 p.m. just north of the Paramount Escapes community on Route 72, said Bert Plante, the New Jersey Forest Fire Service division fire warden. No one was hurt and no businesses, homes or commercial developments appeared to have been burned, Plante said. The cause of the fire is still under investigation.
Barnegat Township police Chief Art Drexler said about 60 people were evacuated from the township. Drexler said one disabled resident was temporarily evacuated to the Russell O. Brackman Middle School. Police Lt. Keith Germain said residents were cleared by fire officials to return home after 8:30 p.m.
About 80 firefighters from the New for observation and one to dump water from a nearby lake. An air-tractor plane that can hold 600 gallons hauled water from Miller Air Park in Berkeley Township to drench the fire.
“With all the snow and rain last weekend, the ground is wet. Areas that are normally high-ground got soggy, so I’m having a hard time moving equipment through the woods,” Plante said.
Even though the ground is drenched, Plante said the top parts of the trees — the leaves and branches — have been air- and sun-dried, supplying plenty of fuel for the fire.
Plante said the fire damaged about 250 acres as of 8:30 p.m., and he estimated that it would burn about 550 acres before it is extinguished. He added that part of the fire is in the same place that burned in 2008.
Route 554 between the Horizons at Barnegat development and Route 72 will remain closed, police said.
Some Barnegat Township residents who lived near the blaze said this latest incident brought back memories from prior forest fires and evacuations.
Anne Liebmann, a retired teacher who lives in the Horizons complex, was setting up the dining room table for a special 65th birthday meal for her husband, Joe, on Saturday afternoon when she looked out the window and noticed the billowing smoke.
“You could smell the smoke and see it in the sky,” she said. “The sun got covered, and all of a sudden there was a shade.”
Then Joe, who works for the Pinewood Estates Volunteer Fire Company, got called away for duty. He later returned home for the birthday celebration.
Anne said she was afraid she would be evacuated and that the latest incident reminded her of when she had to leave her home in 2007 because of a wildfire sparked at the Warren Grove Gunnery Range. That fire burned 17,000 acres and devastated many homes.
Anne said she was thankful the latest blaze was under control and that her family didn’t have to leave home.
The Liebmann’s neighbors, Bob and Marilyn Cosmos, said they were gardening when they noticed the smoke and watched the helicopter head back and forth, dumping water.
Bob Cosmos said one of his first thoughts was to gather personal items inside in case they had to evacuate as they did last year. Marilyn said they saw several fire engines and other trucks gather in their complex’s parking lot, and she was very thankful the blaze didn’t reach their house.
“They are very good down here,” Marilyn Cosmos said. “They get right here. They were here even before we knew what was going on.”
Staff writer Donna Weaver contributed to this article.
Contact Michelle Lee: 609-272-7256 MLee@pressofac.com
