Wildfire in New Jersey, May 1 to 4, 1999

A forest fire caused by an errant missle from the Warren Grove Bombing Range was exacerbated by the unseasonably dry weather during the second half of April as well as the very strong and gusty northeast winds on April 30th. The fire started around 115 p.m. EDT on April 30th in Bass River Township in Burlington County. It was fanned by gusty northeast winds of around 30 mph and moved into the Bass River State Forest in Bass River Township in Burlington County. The fire engulfed a swath of the forest that was seven miles long and three-quarters of a mile wide. In all 11,285 acres were burned. About two dozen people from the Timberline Lake Camping Resort and the Pilgrim Lake Campground in Bass River Township were evacuated. Firefighters halted the forward progress of the fire by lightning backfires on Burlington County Route 679. The fire was contained around 8 p.m. EDT on the 30th, but was not completely under control until 2 p.m. EDT on May 4th. The unseasonably dry second half of April and strong winds helped the fire spread quickly. The fire went from burning 750 acres at 4 p.m. EDT to 10,500 acres at 11 p.m. EDT. The smoke could be seen as far away as Trenton and Atlantic City. No injuries or property damage was reported. The peak wind gust at the Atlantic City International Airport in Pomona on April 30th was 34 mph.