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Forest fire consumes hundreds of acres in Cumberland County

Firefighters expect the blaze will be under control by day’s end.

NJ Forest Fire Service District Fire Warden Terry Fawcett uses a backfire torch to burn unburned vegetation in the NJ Wildlife Management Area in Downe Twp., Cumberland County, NJ on April 10, 2020.
NJ Forest Fire Service District Fire Warden Terry Fawcett uses a backfire torch to burn unburned vegetation in the NJ Wildlife Management Area in Downe Twp., Cumberland County, NJ on April 10, 2020.Read moreELIZABETH ROBERTSON / Staff Photographer
    by Associated Press, The Associated Press
    Published 

A forest fire that has consumed more than 1,000 acres in South Jersey continued to burn Friday afternoon, but firefighters expect the blaze will be under control by day’s end.

The fire was discovered late Thursday afternoon in the Millville Wildlife Management Area in Downe Township and quickly spread, aided in part by strong winds that helped fan the flames. Crews were working to contain the blaze by boxing it in and cutting off its fuel supply, but officials say the fire will likely consume more than 1,500 acres overall before it's completely contained.

No injuries were reported and no evacuations were expected because the fire did not pose a threat to nearby homes in the Cumberland County area, authorities said.

The cause of the fire remains under investigation.