Barnegat brush fire burns 110 acres, forces evacuations
Firefighters in Ocean County last night had finally gained the upper hand in battling a stubborn brush fire that consumed about 110 acres in Barnegat.
Firefighters in Ocean County last night had finally gained the upper hand in battling a stubborn brush fire that consumed about 110 acres in Barnegat.
No injuries were reported in the blaze, which was reported around 12:15 p.m. in an undeveloped portion of the Ocean Acres development.
"It's still burning, but it's well under control," Barnegat Police Lt. Pat Shaffery said.
No homes were threatened, he said.
About 50 people who had been evacuated from their homes near West Bay Avenue and Old Brookville Road because of thick smoke were allowed to return home by 9 p.m., Shaffery said.
Dozens of firefighters were on the scene.
Authorities had not determined what caused the fire in an area between the Paramount Escapes development on Route 72 and the Horizons development on West Bay Avenue.
It was unknown last night when the fire would be extinguished.