Dozens of firefighters battling large brush fire in southern NJ; No injuries reported so far

Large brush fire burning in southern NJ

BARNEGAT, N.J. — A large brush fire has burned about 100 acres in southern New Jersey.

Dozens of firefighters are battling a the blaze. No injuries have been reported in Saturday’s blaze in Barnegat.

Police in the Ocean County community say several neighborhoods near the fire and a mobile home park have been evacuated due to heavy smoke.

About 50 people were in shelters Saturday night, but the blaze isn’t expected to threaten their homes.

It’s not clear what sparked the fire, which was reported around 12:15 p.m. and was still burning late Saturday night. Firefighters have set back fires and plowed fire lines to contain the blaze, which they believe will burn itself out.

The fire is near the site of a similar blaze that destroyed about 75 acres in April 2008.