Questions Loom Over Last Year's 11,000-Acre NJ Wildfire

It's been almost a year since an 11,638-acre wildfire burned in Penn State Forest. New Jersey State Police are still looking for how it started.

It took two days to completely contain the fire. State officials announced April 1 that they believe the fire was human-caused, but they didn't know whether it was by arson or accident.

Authorities are still looking for answers.

"As of right now, I don’t have any updates," said State Trooper Alejandro Goez. "It’s still under investigation."

New Jersey State Police haven't made many announcements about the fire since the April 1 revelations. NJSP posted a picture April 11 on their Facebook page of two people near the fire. They asked the public for help identifying them.

"As far as the individuals that were in the picture we had posted, they were witnesses," Goez told Patch. "Our investigators were able to speak to them. They were not suspects."

State authorities said April 1 that the origin of the fire — Spring Hill Road in Penn State Forest of Washington Township — has been the location of illegal wildfires. Fire officials dispelled rumors that the fire stemmed from a controlled burn, lightning or power lines.

Read more: New Details Released On 11,000-Acre NJ Fire

No injuries or property damage were reported. Officials were able to prevent damage to unoccupied hunting properties. The wildfire left many in surrounding communities nervous about how far it would extend throughout the weekend.

Anyone with information can call 609-296-3132.

Click here to get Patch email notifications on this or other local news articles or get Patch breaking news alerts sent right to your phone with our app. Download here. Follow Barnegat-Manahawkin Patch on Facebook. Have a news tip? Email josh.bakan@patch.com.