Log Swamp Fire In Little Egg Harbor Is 60% Contained

OCEAN COUNTY, NJ — A wildfire reported Saturday off Route 539 in New Jersey's Bass River State Forest has burned through more than 1,600 acres, prompting a road closure and a multi-department response, according to officials.

The New Jersey Forest Fire Service officials said the fire — dubbed the Log Swamp Fire —was reported in Little Egg Harbor Township. In an update posted Friday night, officials said the fire was 60 percent contained and was also burning in the Stafford Forge Wildlife Management Area and at the Warren Grove Bombing Range.

The fire was first reported by a New Jersey Forest Fire Service observer who spotted the blaze from the Cedar Bridge Fire Tower shortly before 10:20 a.m.

Tanker trucks from Warren Grove, Parkertown, and Eagleswood were dispatched to assist with firefighting efforts, according to Tuckertown Fire Department.

At 2 p.m., Route 539 between Forge and Cedarbrook roads was closed in both directions due to the fire, according to the Ocean County Sheriff's Department. As of 8:30 p.m., Route 539 remained closed from the town of Warren Grove to Forge Road.

Residents are being asked to avoid the area. No residential structures are being threatened by the fire, and there are no reported evacuations.

The reported wildfire comes just days after a wildfire consumed 3,859 acres of forest in the Pine Barrens in Manchester.

• READ MORE: No Homes Lost: How Firefighters Prevented 'Catastrophe' In Manchester

The fire, which the New Jersey Forest Fire Service dubbed the Jimmy's Waterhole Fire, was 100 percent contained as of 10 a.m. Thursday, forest fire service officials said in an update.

This is a developing story. Check back for updates.