Wildfire at Wharton State Forest's Tea Time Hill grows to 4,000 acres
A wildfire burning across the pinelands in Burlington County scorched 4,000 acres by Saturday morning, according to the New Jersey Forest Fire Service.
The Tea Time Hill fire in Wharton State Forest, which started in Tabernacle, was about 60% contained. The fire was located around Apple Pie Hill and Batona Campground, according to officials.
On Friday, the fire threatened a home and a gun club and led to the evacuation of nearby Batona Campground, according to forest fire officials. By Saturday, those structures were no longer threatened, they said.
The fire is west of Whiting and Lacey.
Firefighters were performing "backfiring" operations, by burning forest debris ahead of the fire, to slow and stop its spread.
More: Uncontained fire in Wharton State Forest, just south of Ocean County NJ, triples in size
Various trails were closed Saturday within Wharton State Forest, including Batona Trail between Route 532 and Carranza Road and Tulpehocken Trail from Apple Pie Hill to Hawkins Bridge.
In Tabernacle, Carranza Road was closed from the Carranza Memorial to Speedwell Road at Friendship Field.
To complicate operations for firefighters, central and southern New Jersey remained under an excessive heat warning on Saturday from the National Weather Service. Temperatures were expected through the mid-90s, while humidity raised heat index values up to 110 degrees, according to meteorologists.
Burlington County has received little rain over the past three months and is considered "severely dry," according to New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection drought monitoring data.
Stay with app.com for more on this developing story.
Amanda Oglesby is an Ocean County native who covers education and the environment. She has worked for the Press for more than 15 years. Reach her at @OglesbyAPP, aoglesby@gannettnj.com or 732-557-5701.
This article originally appeared on Asbury Park Press: NJ forest fire: Wharton State Forest continues spread
