Nearly 30 homes and two commercial buildings were damaged in a forest fire in New Jersey that caught fire Sunday and spread quickly in windy and dry conditions, according to reports.
The fire started around 1pm in Lakewood and later moved to Brick, where 29 homes were damaged. Three of them were left uninhabitable, the Asbury Park Press reported, citing Mayor John Ducey.
Smoke falls from a brush fire in Lakewood, NJ, which closed Garden State Parkway on Sunday, March 14, 2021. (Kevin Shea / NJ Advance Media via AP)
The fire started relatively small and burned an area of less than a quarter of a football field when it was first reported, NJ.com reports.
But by 6:30 p.m., the flames had spread to about 162 acres, officials told stores.
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The Garden State Parkway between exits 83 to 90 was temporarily shut down on Sunday due to the fire.
“We have two helicopters and a single-engine tanker running the fire,” Caryn Shinske, a spokeswoman for New Jersey’s Department of Environmental Protection, told the Asbury Park Press.
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“The fire did cross the Garden State Parkway and it threatened residential areas and shopping centers,” near Route 70, Shinske said.
At least one firefighter was injured in the blaze, according to reports.
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Weather conditions in New Jersey were ripe for the spread of brush fires, with strong winds and low humidity.