A forest fire in New Jersey closes roads; smoke from a fire reported in New York



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A wind-fueled wildfire in southern New Jersey, which burned thousands of acres, sent flaming smoke far enough north that New Yorkers could feel it.

The Ocean County Sheriff's Office said in a Facebook message that the fire was located in Burlington County, just west of the Ocean County boundary.

"The smoke from this fire blows north and can be seen in Toms River and in the north," the agency said. "The forest fire service, as well as many local fire departments, are on-site."

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The Washington Township fire closed Highway 72 at Barnegat between Highways 532 and 539 until further notice due to the presence of smoke, FOX29 reported.

The fire was burning in the Penn State Forest, which the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection describes as a "virgin nature" that attracts picnickers and hikers. The forest is part of the pine forest, which includes several areas of pine and oak forests.

Larry Hajna, a DEP spokesman, told NJ.com that the fire named "Spring Hill Wildfire" had reached 5,000 acres by 10 am. on Saturday and was only 10 percent content. The fire is burning in a wooded area with few structures and no evacuation has been ordered.

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The fire was fueled by strong winds in the area, which also sent smoke north. According to the National Meteorological Service, the plume of smoke from the fire was large enough to appear on the radar.

NWS's Mount Holly office reported that residents in northern and central New Jersey smelled smoke and explained that the reason it was not dispersing was due to "night-time reversal".

"If you have already burned food in the kitchen and then you have to open the windows and / or light fans to disperse the smoke, there is a similar concept about it" NWS said. "When an inversion is in place (temperatures increase with altitude), any air located below the inversion is trapped beneath the inversion. Air located near the surface can not mix with the air above nor disperse under the effect of stronger winds. Above the inversion. "

This applies to anyone who may be downstream from the fire, where smoke is pushed by the wind.

Many went on Twitter on Sunday morning to show the clouds of smoke from the fire and report a smell of smoke 50 miles away, including on Staten Island, New York.

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The NWS said conditions should improve Sunday during the day, as showers will move into the area and a cold front will dissipate the winds off later in the day.

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