New Jersey Pinelands forest fire is mostly contained, official says

BERKELEY TOWNSHIP, N.J. (AP) — Firefighters have mostly contained a forest fire burning in the southern New Jersey Pinelands.

The blaze in Berkeley Township was 80% contained as of midday Wednesday, the New Jersey Forest Fire Service said.

The fire had consumed about 0.3 square miles (0.8 square kilometers) of land, according to Jeremy Webber, a supervising forest fire warden. The area, known as Fisher’s Pit, includes largely uninhabited stretches of scrub pines and sandy soil, although several neighborhoods and a school are nearby.

The blaze broke out just before 5 p.m. Monday in an area not far from the Garden State Parkway near Exit 77.

No buildings were threatened.

The fire began accidentally when someone improperly tried to extinguish a campfire, Ocean County Prosecutor’s Office said.