Authorities are making progress as they battle a wildfire that broke out in New Jersey’s Passaic County earlier this week, chewing through 160 acres in a matter of hours as firefighters fought to douse the flames.
New Jersey’s Forest Fire Service said in its Thursday morning update that the so-called Buckabear Wildfire in West Milford Township was 50% contained, a marked improvement from their announcement the previous evening. The 160-acre fire hadn’t grown, acre-wise anyway, since the last announcement either.
As of Thursday, no evacuations had been ordered and no structures are threatened.
Forest Fire Service fire engines and ground crews are responding. Clinton Road is closed between Goldfinch Lane and Van Orden Road to facilitate firefighting efforts.
Firefighting efforts intensified in earnest Wednesday, when a state Forest Fire helicopter flew overhead, dumping water from nearby ponds and lakes onto the remote wooded area to halt the spread.
Deep inside the forest, other crews were armed with shovels, garden hoes and specialized ignition devices — deliberately igniting the dry brush on fire in a controlled burn, They literally fought fire with fire.
“The burnout and brush operation sends fire back to meet the head fire and removes all the fuel,” said Tyler Neidergall, of the NJ Forest Fire Service.
While the flames were still miles away from homes or any other structures, people who live in the area and have breathing issues are advised to limit outdoor exposure and keep their windows closed to mitigate the smoke.
The cause of the fire, which began on Tuesday, was under investigation.
0 Comments