HARDWICK TOWNSHIP, NJ (Warren County) – A forest fire burning through Worthington State Forest is 75% contained, according to state fire officials Wednesday morning.
The New Jersey Forest Fire Service and the National Park Service remain in unified command on wildfire burning in the area of Old Mine Road and which is visible from Interstate 80 in Warren County. The fire has been named the “Old Mine Wildfire.”
State fire officials said Tuesday the fire had burned 30 acres of Worthington State Forest in the Delaware Water Gap National Recreational Area. The fire originated on National Park Service property and is believed to be human caused.
Old Mine Road is still closed and no structures are threatened.
Forest Fire Service ground crews are making good progress on containing the fire and are working to improve containment lines and address hot spots along the fire perimeter. The fire is not expected to grow larger, state fire officials said.
The incident commander of the fire conducted an observation flight earlier this morning, state fire officials said.
Two firefighters were treated for heat related injuries yesterday during initial attack. Both were treated at the scene and were released, state fire officials said.
The Forest Fire Service on Tuesday had aviation assets including a Single Engine Air Tanker (SEAT) that can drop up to 800 gallons of water at a time, and an observation helicopter.
Earlier Tuesday, Forest Fire Service crews conducted a prescribed burn more than a mile away from the origin of the Old Mine Wildfire on state property managed by Worthington State Forest. The prescribed burn was immediately ceased to allow Forest Fire Service resources to respond rapidly to the nearby Old Mine Wildfire, state fire officials said.
The Forest Fire Service confirms the prescribed burn neither caused nor impacted the Old Mine Wildfire in Worthington State Forest because the wind direction at the prescribed burn was opposite from the wind direction at the Old Mine Wildfire, state fire officials said.
An update on the Old Mine Wildfire is expected at approximately 8:00 p.m. on April 10.
