Officials say the call came in for a brush fire in Lakewood, New Jersey around 1 p.m near Airport Road & Cedar Bridge Avenue. The extremely windy conditions spread the fire into areas of Brick Township.
The fire is more than 50% contained, officials confirmed late Sunday night.
“We’re just trying to hold our lines where we’re at. Eliminate the hot spots and keep it where it’s at,” said Dale Carry with the New Jersey Forest Fire Service.
Maris Gabliks, a spokesperson for the Fire Service, says more than 100 residents in the immediate area had to evacuate, and nearby homes and commercial buildings suffered damage.
According to the Point Pleasant Fire Department, the fire has also damaged multiple structures near the Lakewood Industrial Complex in Brick Township.
A firefighter with the New Jersey Forest Fire Service sustained injuries Sunday. The firefighter is currently listed in critical condition at an area hospital.
The Garden State Parkway between exits 83 and 90 were closed for several hours due to the fire. The roadway has since reopened, according to the Ocean County Sheriff’s Office.
A westbound lane of Rt. 70 from Cedar Bridge Avenue to the Garden State Parkway will remain closed.
Crews from the surrounding area will work through the night to control the brush fire.
The New Jersey Forest Fire Service has put stage 3 fire restrictions into place, which prohibits fires in wooded areas unless contained in an elevated stove using only propane, natural gas, gas, or electricity. Charcoal fires are prohibited.
Firefighters closer to Philadelphia are also battling a brush fire along the Delaware River in Salem County, New Jersey.
Crews are still working to determine what caused both brush fires.
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