JACKSON TOWNSHIP, NJ – Jackson Township Mayor Michael Reina today confirmed the forest fire in Jackson Township has been contained, but residents are still asking why the smell of smoke is so strong in the community.
Reina said the answer is two-fold. First, a contained fire doesn’t mean it has been fully extinguished. It means firefighters have cut off the fire’s path to expand by creating back burning that clears underbrush, leaves and fuel, preventing the fire from spreading.
Reina said there has been confusion in the term ‘contained’ and while firefighters continue to let the fire burn out and battle it where they can, the chances of the fire growing a low.
“Thankfully, the wind conditions were in our favor here, and the work of these brave firefighters to contain the fire has stopped it from becoming much worse,” Reina said today. “They were out there in the woods all night fighting this thing and kept it from spreading, they should be commended for their efforts.”
The mayor said the strong smoke condition is a combination of the fire in Jackson, being compounded by a massive fire in Canada that is sending smoke from multiple fires in Quebec and Nova Scotia south as far as South Jersey.
The New Jersey Forest Fire Service made substantial progress overnight in containing a wildland-urban interface wildfire burning in the area of East Commodore Boulevard and Cedar Swamp Road in Jackson Twp., Ocean County.
The wildfire has grown to 70 acres in size and is now 70% contained.
Forest Fire Service crews utilized a backfiring operation overnight to protect surrounding homes and burn fuel ahead of the main body of fire.