Forest Fire Breaks Out At NJ Military Gunnery Range

STAFFORD – A wildfire that quickly broke out at the Warren Grove Range of the Air National Guard Tuesday is now 80% contained, New Jersey Forest Fire Service said.

The blaze had burned roughly 1,167 acres by Wednesday morning and has spread throughout Warren Grove Air to Ground Range in Bass River Township, Burlington County.

Ocean and Monmouth County residents said on social media they could smell the fire. Many said they could smell it as far as Whiting, Freehold, and possibly farther.

Currently, fire crews are working the extinguish the flames.

“Overnight, the fire area received approximately 0.5 inches of rain, aiding in containment efforts. Today, crews remain on scene and will improve containment lines, while monitoring and addressing any hotspots along the fire perimeter,” New Jersey Forest Fire Service said in a statement.

The Warren Grove Range was also the scene of a 2007 historic wildfire that burned 17,000 across southern Ocean County. It forced thousands of residents to evacuate the area. That fire, which was caused when a pilot dropped a flare into the range during a training exercise, destroyed four homes and damaged about 50 others.