A pilot is dead after a small plane crashed in Ocean County, NJ and the cause of the crash is not yet clear. The pilot’s identity is being withheld pending the investigation. There was also a wildfire in the same area that spread to 325 acres and is 0% contained. At this time authorities have not revealed if there is a connection between the two incidents.
Officials in New Jersey are battling a wildfire in Lacey Township in Ocean County, New Jersey that was reported Saturday night.
Early Sunday morning, a private plane crashed in Lacey Township as well.
A source familiar with this incident has said one person has died in that crash.
However, officials said Sunday afternoon that the two may not be connected as there were reports of a fire prior to the plane crash.
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At a press conference at 4 p.m. Trevor Raynor, with the New Jersey Forest Fire Service, said that they received reports of the wildfire at 11:40 p.m. Saturday night.
On Sunday afternoon, the National Transportation Safety Board said it had an investigator working at the scene of the crash.
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In an update Monday, officials said they have made "substantial progress" in containing the wildfire.
It had spread to 831 acres since the night before but, officials said it is 90% contained as of about 8 p.m. on Monday.
By 7 p.m., Sunday, officials said the wildfire had spread to 600 acres and 25 structures were threatened by the flames. The wildfire is now 50 percent contained.
On Sunday morning, the New Jersey Forest Fire Service sent out an alert on social media for people to avoid areas around Dover Road, from Lacey to Pinewald Keswick roads and Mule Road at Pinewald Keswick Road, to allow crews to deal with a fire at Miller Air Park.
20 forest fire trucks and their crews are currently working to extinguish the fire and contain it.
Raynor said the wildfire was caused due to "abnormally dry" conditions at this time of the year and that they have been increasing staffing to deal with wildfires.
Fire officials could not speak on whether the wildfire impacted the plane crash site at all.
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