Fire Rescue News - Firefighters slowly gaining ground on 700-acre forest fire in Bass River State Park
BASS RIVER TOWNSHIP - Forest fire fighters are slowly gaining the upper hand against a nearly 700-acre forest fire burning in Bass River State Park.
The wildfire that forced the Bass River State Park to evacuate Monday was about 60 percent contained as of 2 p.m. Tuesday.
Assistant Division Fire Warden Steve Holmes said the wildfire, which was first reported.....Continue Reading
Monday afternoon, scorched 677 acres in 24 hours.
"We have 40 plus people on it, including 13 engines, three tractor plows, and two aircrafts - one for observation, the other for dropping water," Holmes said. "It's 60-percent contained now, but we're expecting that number to get up to 80 percent by the end of today."
Holmes said officials hope to have the fire completely contained by Wednesday.
"Then control will follow," he said.
The fire started, and has largely burned, in a swamp a couple miles north of Dan Bridge Road.
"Crews went in this morning and were able to determine that the origin was a lightning strike from the July 25th storm," Holmes said.
A second fire that was reported by the state Forest Fire Service later in the day Monday, was actually the smoke from a back fire that was used to contain an earlier wildfire that was also caused by a lightning strike, Holmes said.
Smoke from the blaze was still visible from as far away as Atlantic County on Tuesday afternoon, but Holmes said the 28,000-acre Bass River State Park was scheduled to open around lunchtime Tuesday.
Plante said he suspected a lightning strike Sunday night caused the fire, but was not certain. Lightning triggered another fire, and while heavy rain fell on other parts of the region on Sunday, just 1/10 of an inch of rain fell here, Plante said.
The fire closed down parts of Stage Road between the Garden State Parkway and County Route 679, Plante said, as well as Greenbush Road between Route 9 and Stage Road. It also closed the 28,000-acre Bass River State Forest.
Visitors could be seen exiting the park shortly before 4 p.m. and a park employee said that people were being asked to leave.
The park has 176 tent and trailer camping sites and several larger group campsites, according to a state Department of Environmental Protection website.
While the fire was close to the Garden State Parkway, it did not close the roadway. The relatively light winds meant the smoke was rising, rather than obscuring vision.
"You can certainly smell it and see it on the Parkway, but it's not impacting visibility," Plante said.
Plante said the fire service had about 100 firefighters, 17 engines, three helicopters, two bulldozers and other equipment fighting the fire. Three or four other municipal departments were also providing water.
The Bass River State Forest was evacuated after the fire north of Dan Bridge Road was reported, Plante said.
The state forest stretches across Ocean and Burlington counties, and is roughly six miles west of Tuckerton, and 25 miles away from Atlantic City.
A second, smaller fire was later reported about a mile east of the initial blaze, Plante said.
Contact Robert Spahr: 609-272-7283 RSpahr@pressofac.com
Contact Derek Harper: 609-272-7046 DHarper@pressofac.com
Check here for updates on this developing story.
Drivers navigate a smokey Stage Road in Bass River, near the scene of a forest fire Tuesday.
The closed entrance of Bass River State Forrest Tuesday before noon Tuesday.
