Wildfire Scorches 2,300 Acres of Wharton State Forest

ByEthan Pineridge

Fire crews in New Jersey are battling a significant wildfire that has burned approximately 2,300 acres in Wharton State Forest, forcing the evacuation of two campgrounds. The blaze, known as the California Branch Wildfire, was reported Saturday afternoon and quickly spread across parts of Burlington and Camden Counties due to dry conditions and strong winds.

As of Sunday evening, officials from the New Jersey State Forest Fire Service reported the fire was 80% contained, according to an update shared on social media. Crews have been constructing and strengthening containment lines while conducting backfiring operations to help control the spread.

Photo Source: DepositPhotos

Evacuations and Closures

The Atsion and Goshen Pond Campgrounds were evacuated Saturday night and remained closed throughout Sunday. Fire officials noted that while 18 homes were initially threatened by the blaze, the fire has been moving away from these structures, and no residential evacuations have been necessary.

Several roads within Wharton State Forest have been closed, including Raritan Avenue, Old Atsion Road, 5 Mile Crossing, and Goshen Pond, CBS News Philadelphia reported. These closures remain in effect as firefighting operations continue.

Mike Lupinetti, a resident who lives near the wildfire, described the unsettling experience to CBS News Philadelphia. “It’s a little scary because it could jump, it could get close,” he said. “When I came home from dinner I went out and checked my hoses and made sure I had enough hoses ready just in case.”

Challenging Conditions

Chief Bill Donnelly of the New Jersey Forest Fire Service explained that while the flames were first spotted by a fire tower around 1:30 pm Saturday near Raritan Avenue, the wildfire likely ignited sometime before dawn. “Humidity dropped out, wind really kicked up and started being a wind-driven wildfire, so at that point, it’s hard to catch up to it,” Donnelly said.

The fire’s rapid spread has been fueled by a combination of strong winds and exceptionally dry conditions throughout southern New Jersey. An observation helicopter has been deployed to monitor the fire’s behavior and assist ground crews in their containment efforts.

According to The New York Times, despite the significant size of this blaze, the statewide risk of fire danger was classified as only moderate — the second-lowest classification on a five-tier scale — based on the New Jersey Forest Fire Service’s official assessment.

Growing Drought Concerns

This wildfire marks the fourth major blaze in New Jersey this year, raising concerns among fire officials about the severity of the current fire season. “We are coming into a severe drought in portions of Southern New Jersey, we haven’t started off a fire season in a severe drought so if we don’t get some serious relief, I think our folks out in the field are going to have their hands full,” Chief Donnelly warned.

New Jersey’s wildfire season typically peaks between mid-March and mid-May, but officials fear this year could be particularly challenging due to an exceptionally dry fall and the third-driest January on record. The early statistics support these concerns.

As of March 13, the state forest fire service had already responded to 381 wildfires since early January, which have burned a total of 1,242 acres, according to data from the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection. This represents a staggering 266 percent increase compared to the same period in 2024.

Photo Source: DepositPhotos

Response Efforts

The New Jersey Forest Fire Service has deployed significant resources to combat the California Branch Wildfire. Firefighters have been working around the clock to establish containment lines and conduct strategic backfiring operations to eliminate potential fuel sources in the fire’s path.

Officials expect to provide another update on the wildfire’s status around 8 a.m. Monday. The cause of the fire remains under investigation, with no determination yet made public about what sparked the blaze.

Wharton State Forest is New Jersey’s largest single tract of state-owned land, encompassing approximately 122,800 acres of pine forest, wetlands, and waterways within the Pinelands National Reserve. The forest is a popular destination for camping, hiking, and water activities, situated roughly 30 miles southeast of Philadelphia.

For residents living near the affected area, the situation continues to evolve. As Lupinetti noted to reporters, this may not be the first wildfire he’s experienced living near the forest, but it’s “certainly the closest and the most unnerving.”

“Yeah, I’ll probably be up a little later tonight than normal just keeping an eye to see if I see any fire,” he added.

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