Wildfire 90% contained as crews from 22 N.J. towns respond

Several roads are reopened and evacuations are no longer in effect as crews continue to battle a wildfire in Essex County, officials said Sunday morning.
The fire has been burning near Route 10 and Eisenhower Parkway in Livingston Township since Saturday, officials with the New Jersey Forest Fire Service said.
As of 10 a.m. on Sunday, the fire is 140 acres and 60% contained, up slightly in size from Saturday night. The fire is expected to grow to 190 acres before full containment.
At 8 p.m. Sunday, the blaze was 90% contained, and no structures were threatened, the forest fire service said in an update. Smoke will remain in the area until a significant rainfall.
It’s still too early to tell the cause of the blaze.
Crews from all 22 towns in Essex County, and the state Forest Fire Service, responded to the fire.
“This is the one, in my 38 years on the department, this is probably the biggest fire where we called in the most amount of resources,” Livingston Fire Chief Christopher Mullin said earlier Sunday. Large forest fires like this are unusual in Livingston, where firefighters usually deal with structure fires.
Forest fire risks remain extreme in North and Central Jersey and very high in South Jersey on Sunday, state officials said.
Winds are lighter compared to Saturday, the National Weather Service said, but low relative humidity values and very dry vegetation “will support the spread of any fires that ignite, which could quickly become difficult to control,” the New Jersey Forest Fire Service said.
Stage 3 fire restrictions remain in place, which bar all fires unless in an elevated stove using propane, gas or electricity only.

There have been no injuries to firefighters or residents, officials said.
The fire is in a marshy area that’s been dried out by the long period without rain, Mullin said. There could be smoke “for sometime” until the next rainfall, he said.
Eisenhower Parkway was expected to reopen around 12 p.m. Sunday, and Route 10 has already reopened. The remaining road closures are industrial roads, and shouldn’t impact the Monday morning commute, Mullin said.
Residents should continue taking precautions until the fire risk passes, he advised.
“Refrain from personal use of any kind of fireworks or any flame-producing device, cigarettes that could cause a fire, which could be catastrophic,” Mullin said.
Editor’s Note: This story was updated Sunday night Oct. 27 with information from the New Jersey Forest Fire Service.
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Katie Kausch may be reached at [email protected]. Follow her on Twitter @KatieKausch.