Additional evacuations are in place as the wildfire reached 200 acres along the Evesham-Voorhees border.
Patch Staff
|Updated Thu, Nov 7, 2024 at 4:34 pm ET
EVESHAM, NJ — A wildfire has grown to 200 acres, threatening more homes and prompting additional evacuations as it burns along the Evesham-Voorhees border, officials said late Thursday afternoon.
Dubbed the Bethany Run Wildfire, none of the burning has been contained as of 3:30 p.m. Thursday. But the New Jersey Forest Fire Service said it began making progress on containing the blaze, which is around Kettle Run Road and Sycamore Avenue in Evesham — near the Voorhees border.
Crews continue to construct containment lines and are working to stop the fire's forward progress.
Two more structures have been evacuated since noon, bringing the total to 12 evacuations. There are 104 homes and buildings at risk of damage as of 3:30 p.m. Thursday — seven more than a few hours prior.
Firefighters from throughout the region have flocked to the scene to protect homes and buildings. The Forest Fire Service is battling the blaze with fire engines, bulldozers, ground crews, a helicopter that can drop up to 350 gallons of water at once, and an observational aircraft.
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Smoke has been visible in surrounding communities, carrying a strong odor with it.
As of 3:30 p.m. Thursday, Sycamore Avenue remains closed. Kettle Run Road is shut down from Braddock Mill Road to Hopewell Road, and access to the Sturbridge Lakes Development is blocked off.
Another update from the Forest Fire Service is expected around 8:30 p.m. Thursday.
Residents in nearby Voorhees should stay out of the Sturbridge Woods area. But no evacuations in the township have been ordered as of 11 a.m. Thursday, according to the Camden County Office of Emergency Management.
"For your safety, only residents and emergency personnel are allowed access," the Camden County OEM said. "Please avoid the area to keep roads clear for responders and help ensure everyone’s safety."
The cause of the fire remains under investigation.
Kettle Run Road and Sycamore Avenue run through heavily wooded areas, with some homes scattered along each roadway. There are some residential streets in the vicinity and more densely populated neighborhoods to the west.
A wildfire broke out near Sycamore Avenue last week, threatening 15 homes before crews contained it. Read more: Wildfire That Threatened 15 Homes In Burlington Co. Gets Contained
Dry conditions from the worsening drought have fueled wildfires throughout the state. The New Jersey Forest Fire Service responded to 507 incidents in October, when the state received virtually no rain.
Another wildfire was detected Thursday afternoon in Gloucester County.
"When conditions become this dry, the simplest things can start a wildfire," said Bill Donnelly, the Forest Fire Service chief. "In my 30-year career with the Forest Fire Service, I can’t recall a time when we faced such a prolonged period of dry weather with no relief in sight."
The state issued a drought watch Oct. 17, urging the public to voluntarily conserve water.
Part of South Jersey entered an "extreme drought," the U.S. Drought Monitor said Thursday in its weekly update. An extreme drought indicates that water flow has severely diminished and crop loss is widespread.
The drought is an impact of climate change, which in recent years has shown a trend of increasingly intense rainfall followed by periods of little to no rain, according to the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection.
Statewide, all outdoor fires continue to be prohibited unless contained in an elevated stove that uses only propane, natural gas or electricity. No wood or charcoal fires are allowed.
Here are the state's wildfire-prevention tips:
This is a developing story. Check back for updates.
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