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A substantial wildfire in Manchester Township in New Jersey on federal, state and private property, which reached 3,859 acres in size, has been 100% contained, the state’s forest fire service reported Thursday.

The New Jersey Forest Fire Service also said no injuries have been reported due to the massive forest fire.

The blaze, which started Tuesday, was located near Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst, a military installation in the state’s pinelands.

New Jersey Air National Guard helicopters conducted water drops in support of the the firefighters on the ground.

About 170 homes in Manchester and Lakehurst were ordered evacuated, but residents have been told it is safe to return home. Roads that were closed have been reopened.

Yesterday afternoon about 20 structures were deemed under threat but by evening they were no longer in jeopardy from the fire.

“This fire exhibited extreme fire behavior,” John Cecil, an assistant commissioner in the state’s Department of Environmental Protection, told The Associated Press. “I don’t mean to be dramatic, but this was a severe situation that these guys and gals managed to keep in a place and protect lives and property from that.”

The cause of the fire is under investigation.

The state is experiencing high fire hazard conditions in multiple areas as warm, windy and dry weather continues.

Firefighters are still battling a forest fire near West Milford in the northern part of the state. That fire is about 250 acres in size and has been 30% contained.

A volunteer firefighter at a smaller Sussex County fire suffered cardiac arrest and died yesterday, fire officials reported.

Topics New Jersey