'You Can Feel the Heat': Wildfire Burns in New Jersey's Wharton State Forest
A wildfire ignited in New Jersey’s Wharton State Forest on Sunday evening, June 19, the state’s forest fire service said.
The fire, dubbed the Mullica River Fire, had reached 11,000 acres and was 50 percent contained as of Monday afternoon, the New Jersey Forest Fire Service reported.
The agency said several area roadways and recreation areas were closed, and 18 structures were threatened. The fire service said no injuries had been reported as of approximately 3:20 pm local time Monday.
Videos filmed by local resident Riley Van Deventer on Sunday and Monday show the fire and smoky conditions near the communities of Nesco and Hammonton. Credit: Riley Van Deventer via Storyful
Video transcript
- Yeah, it's coming from right there.
- Yeah.
- So I'm gonna keep [INAUDIBLE] south.
[HOWLING]
- So the wind changed direction and it looks like it's headed toward our house now. I want to go home. [INAUDIBLE].
- Oh, what's--
- Holy [MUTED]. Holy [MUTED].
- Everything's on fire.
- Holy [MUTED].
- That split is--
- Hold [MUTED].
- Yeah, the whole neighborhood's on fire.
- Oh, my god. I think this is backburn.
- Yeah, this is all backburn.
- That's gotta be backburn.
- [LAUGHS]
- Yeah, that's definitely--
- You feel the flame.
- Well, yeah.
- Roll your window down. Feel it.
- Oh, yeah.
- Oh, my god.
- Yeah, look at that.
- Oh, it is hot.
- Well, that tree's on fire on the outside.
- I'm putting the window back up.
- [INAUDIBLE]
- Dude, do you think that Columbia Road's closed off?
- I don't know.
- On the an Airport Road side of it?
- Yeah.
- Oh, yeah, I did see a report saying it was. We could try it, though. Let's just drive past the house, just to make sure it's OK.
- Yeah.
- Oh, my [MUTED] god.
- Shush.
- [INAUDIBLE]
- Like right there, yeah.
- We're on [? Morse, ?] on the right side, if you're looking at Columbia, on the right side.
- OK.
- I saw it last night. He got, like, 600 acres. And now, he's got [INAUDIBLE].
- Well, we have somebody--
[RUMBLING]
That's what it looks like. This is wild.