LAKEWOOD – The forest fire that damaged buildings and closed the Garden State Parkway is under control but people should still stay away from the area, officials said.
A New Jersey Forest Fire Service firefighter is in critical condition at a nearby hospital. The Lakewood News Network reported that he went into cardiac arrest. There have been no injuries of the public reported.
Mayor John Ducey said that 29 residential properties were damaged. These were mostly things like siding, fences, and decks. Currently, there is one house deemed uninhabitable.
The blaze started out as a brush fire at 5 Airport Road in Lakewood in the afternoon of March 14. The NJ State Forest Fire and its Forest Fire task force were immediately called, Lakewood Fire Department Fire Chief Jonathan Yahr said.
Due to dry weather and windy conditions, the fire spread quickly, he said. Once firefighters learned that it damaged an office building at 150 Airport Road, it was upgraded to a 3-alarm fire, which brings in all off-duty firefighters and mutual aid partners in surrounding towns.
The fire leaped across the Parkway, igniting woods and approaching homes in Brick. Ultimately, the size was deemed to be about 170 acres, the New Jersey Forest Fire Service reported.
Currently, the fire is under control – but not out. This means there is no immediate danger to the public, fire officials said. However, people are being asked to stay out of the woods over the next few days since the winds can change and put people at risk if they are close.
The Lakewood Fire Department remains on high alert. The State is continuing to fight the fire as they had been doing overnight.
The State Forest Fire department determined where the fire originated, but the cause is under investigation. They have ruled out prescribed burns which was inaccurately reported online. This is when firefighters make small, controlled burns in areas to burn away dry underbrush so that any forest fires won’t have as much fuel and won’t spread as quickly.
As of press time, two business buildings were destroyed by the fire. Brick residents who were evacuated were allowed to return at 7 p.m. on Sunday.
Residents are being told to stay away from the area for their own safety. Drivers are being reminded to slow down and move over if they see crews working on the roadways. All outdoor fires are prohibited and discarding of smoking materials should be done appropriately.
They also sent out a reminder to drone operators not to pilot drones near active fires because it could hamper responses and injure firefighters.
Environmentalists noted that these kinds of fires are a symptom of how people have used the land.
“The woods in this area are surrounded by development, and this shows that small fires can grow quickly in these areas,” said Jeff Tittel, Director of the New Jersey Sierra Club. “Overpumping of the aquifer, paving over the land, rising temperatures, and failing to remove brush or manage the forest in these areas led to this fire growing. We are going to see fires get worse as our climate gets dryers and warmer and we see more development in this area.”
