Tuckerton Forest Fire, 1981
Philadelphia Inquirer 19 Apr 1981
Several hundred people were evacuated from campgrounds yesterday as firefighters battled two forest fires covering about 2,000 acres each of South Jersey. The fires - about 25 miles apart - spread through woodlands, and hundreds of firefighters used trucks, airplanes and axes to fight the blazes. One fire was in the Elwood area of Mullica Township, Atlantic County, and the other began in the Tuckerton area of Burlington County, later spreading to Ocean County, according to fire officials. The fire in the Tuckerton area was reported out of control late last night, and the Mullica fire was reported still burning, but contained. Fire officials expected to spend all night fighting the blazes. The fires were first reported about 3 p.m. and grew worse as strong winds fanned the flames. No fatalities or injuries were reported, officials said.
No causes for the fires had yet been determined, but one official said that forest fires are common at this time of year.
" We don't like to see them get this big," said Ben Petrini, assistant district fire warden for the New Jersey Forest Fire Service.
In Mullica, some private homes were threatened, but firefighters managed to save them from the flames, Petrini said. In the Burlington County fire, 52 groups of campers were evacuated from the KOA campground near the Bass River State Forest, and the national forest was also evacuated, according to employees. Some campers went to a grocery store parking lot on Route 9 in Tuckerton , and others left the area. However, afterit appeared that the fire was moving away from the national forest, a few campers were allowed back in, according to an employee of the park. North of the Bass River State Forest, about 1,750 acres of pine trees were burning, said fire officials. In Mullica, about 2,000 acres of pine and hardwoods were on fire. About 200 state firefighters, plus 200 members of local fire companies, battled the two fires, authorities said.
Several hundred people were evacuated from campgrounds yesterday as firefighters battled two forest fires covering about 2,000 acres each of South Jersey. The fires - about 25 miles apart - spread through woodlands, and hundreds of firefighters used trucks, airplanes and axes to fight the blazes. One fire was in the Elwood area of Mullica Township, Atlantic County, and the other began in the Tuckerton area of Burlington County, later spreading to Ocean County, according to fire officials. The fire in the Tuckerton area was reported out of control late last night, and the Mullica fire was reported still burning, but contained. Fire officials expected to spend all night fighting the blazes. The fires were first reported about 3 p.m. and grew worse as strong winds fanned the flames. No fatalities or injuries were reported, officials said.
No causes for the fires had yet been determined, but one official said that forest fires are common at this time of year.
" We don't like to see them get this big," said Ben Petrini, assistant district fire warden for the New Jersey Forest Fire Service.
In Mullica, some private homes were threatened, but firefighters managed to save them from the flames, Petrini said. In the Burlington County fire, 52 groups of campers were evacuated from the KOA campground near the Bass River State Forest, and the national forest was also evacuated, according to employees. Some campers went to a grocery store parking lot on Route 9 in Tuckerton , and others left the area. However, afterit appeared that the fire was moving away from the national forest, a few campers were allowed back in, according to an employee of the park. North of the Bass River State Forest, about 1,750 acres of pine trees were burning, said fire officials. In Mullica, about 2,000 acres of pine and hardwoods were on fire. About 200 state firefighters, plus 200 members of local fire companies, battled the two fires, authorities said.
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