MANCHESTER TWP. — Firefighters are battling a large fire in the Greenwood Forest Wildlife Management Area, officials confirmed.
The fire has encompassed more than 100 acres so far, according to John Reith, assistant division forest fire warden with the New Jersey Forest Fire Service.
The fire doesn’t threaten any structures at this point, he said.
About 30 to 35 firefighters are currently on scene, along with about 15 firetrucks. Units have requested water tankers to aid in their efforts.
Two helicopters have joined the operation, with one for observation and one to dump water on the blaze.
Drifting smoke has forced the closure of a portion of nearby Route 539, Reith said.
The Greenwood Forest WMA spans more than 32,000 acres in Ocean County, including the townships of Barnegat, Berkley, Lacey, Manchester and Woodland townships.
Officials have not indicated the cause of the fire, which was first reported this morning.
NJFFS B5 crews working a large fire in Greenwood Forest WMA, Manchester Twp. Initial reports were 100+ acres with the potential to be larger
— NJFFS Section B10 (@sectionb10) February 19, 2017
Matt Gray may be reached at mgray@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @MattGraySJT. Find the South Jersey Times on Facebook.
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