A large brush fire in central New Jersey has consumed 300 acres, damaged some buildings and forced the evacuation of 40 homes and at least one school in Ocean County, NBC News reported.
The fast-moving fire was being battled by firefighters after it broke out late Thursday morning at the intersection of Grand Central Parkway and Berkeley Avenue near the Berkeley Township border.
Due to high winds, the rapidly spreading fire was able to only be partially contained several hours later, prompting authorities to issue a warning about the night air being contaminated with smoke.
Although the fire was able to damage some homes, none of them had been completely lost, Berkley police said.
Toms River Intermediate South, a middle school, was closed early after it was evacuated as a precaution. The district said the students were safe, NBC News reported.
As firefighters tried to douse the fire, some residents were asked to turn on their yard sprinklers to speed up the process.
About half a square mile was marked as the burned area.
In order to protect several homes in the path of the blaze, pyro-suppression units were used to surround them, according to Ocean County Prosecutor Joseph Coronato.
"There are about 40 homes nearby that are in potential danger. So they've been instructed to put on their sprinkler systems and just kind of keep their houses and their properties moist," said Larry Hajna with the state's Department of Environmental Protection.
The fire was captured by one witness before it spread across more than 150 acres.
"A number of residents on Berkeley Avenue near Pine Street packed their cars and emptied their garages in case they were told to leave," NBC News reported. "Forecasters issued a fire weather watch through Thursday evening. They say a combination of low humidity and strong winds could spread any brush fires that develop."
