Wildfire Grows To 189 Acres At Fishers Pit In Berkeley

BERKELEY, NJ — A wildfire in Berkeley has grown to 189 acres and is 50 percent contained as of Tuesday afternoon, according to New Jersey Forest Fire Service officials.

Dubbed the "Fishers Pit Wildfire" due to its location on the border of Beachwood and Berkeley, as of Tuesday afternoon's update there were no structures threatened and no roads closed.

The fire was first spotted from Cedar Bridge Fire Tower at 4:44 p.m. on Sept. 9, officials said. Initial attack efforts were unsuccessful due to the fire's "erratic fire behavior," officials said.

Smoke was billowing across the Sylvan Lakes neighborhood and into Pine Beach and Beachwood Monday evening. It settled overnight around Northern Boulevard and Hickory Lane, and has gradually decreased Tuesday. Read more: Wildfire Burning In Fishers Pit In Berkeley

The Ocean County Sheriff's Office posted drone photos to Facebook of the fire late Monday evening showing a fairly large area that was burning.

"Fire crews continue to secure and reinforce containment lines by mopping up hot spots alongside the fire's perimeter," officials said. "The fire's perimeter was remapped early this afternoon to show a more accurate depiction fires perimeter and acres consumed."

The fire's cause is unknown and still under investigation. Another update is expected at 8:30 p.m. Tuesday.