418-Acre Wildfire Contained In Little Egg Harbor

LITTLE EGG HARBOR, NJ — A 418-acre wildfire in the Stafford Forge Wildlife Management Area was fully contained as of 7:30 p.m. on March 7, New Jersey Forest Fire Service officials said.

The fire, called the "Governor's Branch Wildfire," started around 1 p.m. Tuesday off Route 539. The road was closed for several hours as firefighters battled the blaze.

Forest Fire Service staff remained in the area overnight to continue improving containment lines and to ensure public safety.

For a brief period Tuesday afternoon, 16 structures were threatened, officials said. Local volunteer fire companies from Ocean, Burlington and Atlantic counties provided structure protection.

No injuries were reported, officials said.

The cause of the wildfire is currently under investigation.

While controlled burns were ongoing in other parts of the state Tuesday, there were none in the Little Egg Harbor area. The last time controlled burns were done in the area was on Feb. 27, according to officials.