N.J. wildfire sparked by July 4 fireworks still burning after more than 130 days

A wildfire in Burlington County has been burning since early July and is still not fully extinguished as dry conditions continue to fuel the flames, state fire officials said.
The Tea Time Hill Wildfire in Wharton State Forest in Tabernacle began burning late on July 4, due to a fireworks lit inside in the forest, fire officials said.
The fire was discovered shortly after 9 a.m. on July 5 near Batona Campground and Apple Pie Hill in the state forest.
During a press conference earlier this week about the status of the hundreds of wildfires burning in New Jersey since early October, fire officials said the Tea Time Hill Wildfire was still active.
Greg McLaughlin, the administrator of the New Jersey Forest Fire Service’s Office of Forest and Natural Lands, said the fire has been fueled by the recent dryness of materials that fuel forest fires, including pine needles, branches and twigs.
“The impact of this dryness on wildfires cannot be overstated,” he said during the press conference. “Take for example the Tea Time Hill Wildfire that has been burning since July 5.”
“This fire continues to smolder, smoke and burn, as it consumes in a downward direction the fuels that have accumulated over the years,” said McLaughlin. “This fire will continue to burn through this leaf litter, through roots, and when the opportunity comes for the fire to find an air pocket, or perhaps a dead tree, it comes back above ground again.”
It is an ongoing concern for the department, he added.
“We have to monitor these fires for a period of weeks and months,” McLaughlin said.
According to a July 8 update posted on the fire service’s Facebook page, fire officials reached 90% containment of the 4,300-acre fire. It threatened two structures early on — including one residential structure and one hunting club — but no injuries were reported.
A spokeswoman with the state Department of Environmental Protection did not immediately provide updated information about the fire.
Drought conditions throughout the state have been building for months, and have contributed to numerous wildfires across New Jersey.
There have been 11,000 acres burned in New Jersey forest fires this year, fire officials previously said. The state has averaged about 4,000 acres per year since 2000.
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Brianna Kudisch may be reached at [email protected].