Firefighters in New Jersey were battling a wildfire Monday that had burned more than 1,000 acres in less than a day, officials said.
The fire was spotted at about 4 p.m. Sunday in a forested area on the Jersey Shore that has limited accessibility, according to a statement from the New Jersey Forest Fire Service.
By nightfall, it had spread to parts of Bass River State Forest in Burlington County and Little Egg Harbor Township in Ocean County and burnt 70 acres, the fire service said. Route 9 was closed due to smoke, but reopened Monday, officials said.
The Ocean County Sheriff's Office said Monday morning that the fire had ballooned to burn more than 1,000 acres.
By Monday afternoon, the wildfire was burning 617 acres as firefighters used controlled fires to try to get a handle on the blaze. At least 16 fire agencies responded with the New Jersey Forest Fire Service, NBC New York reported.
The controlled fires in Bass River State Forest and on private land were keeping space between the main fire and structures, according to a Monday statement from the fire service. The number of threatened structures decreased from 100 to 30 between Sunday and Monday.
The fire had yet to damage any structures, and no injuries had been reported, according to the fire service. Still, smoke was expected to be visible for days.
