Over 4,000 acres are burning as firefighters work to extinguish a wildfire in southern New Jersey.
Firefighters are working to extinguish a wildfire that is burning through about 4,000 acres of the Wharton State Forest in Burlington County, New Jersey on Friday.
According to officials, the Batona Campground in Wharton State Forest has been evacuated. The Batona Trail is also closed between Route 532 and Carranza Road and Tulpehocken Trail is closed from Apple Pie Hill to Hawkins Bridge.
Local Wharton State Forest roads are closed, officials said. Carranza Road is closed from the Carranza Memorial to Speedwell Road at Friendship Field.
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"The fire is burning in a very rugged area," Section Fire Warden Thomas Gerber said during a news conference on Friday. "The Wharton State Forest, a lot of it is inaccessible to motorized vehicles or fire equipment. Some of the area has not seen fire since 1954, so it's very very dense pine forest."
No nearby structures are threatened, according to officials. The fire is currently 65% contained.
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"The Forest Fire Service has responded to the wildfire with ground crew, an observation helicopter and a helicopter capable of dropping 300 gallons of water," officials said in a social media post.
Officials are asking everyone to avoid the area at this time and people should not fly drones in the fire zones.
The cause of the fire is under investigation.
This is a developing story; check back for updates.
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