Firefighters continue to battle the Wharton State Forest fire blaze that was originally reported on Sunday, June 19, and has engulfed more than 11,000 acres.
The fire has resulted in several road closures including Rt. 206 between Chew Road and Atsion Road and Rt. 542 between the Green Bank Bridge and Columbia Road in Burlington and Atlantic counties.
No injuries have been reported at this time, however, Atlantic County public health officials remind residents to take precautions as wildfire smoke can pose a threat to those with heart and lung conditions, pregnant women, older adults, children, and outdoor workers.
If you have asthma or other lung conditions, follow your respiratory management plan. See a doctor if you have a hard time breathing or if your normal symptoms worsen. People with chronic diseases should check with their healthcare provider about precautions needed ahead of smoke events.
To help limit exposure to wildfire smoke residents may consider staying indoors, limiting outdoor physical activity, using respiratory protection (masking) appropriately, and keeping windows closed to help keep indoor air as clean as possible.
Several online resources are available to obtain information about active wildfires and the air quality in your neighborhood.
The New Jersey Forest Fire Services (https://www.nj.gov/dep/parksandforests/fire/) and The AirNow website (www.airnow.gov) provide reports based on the Air Quality Index (AQI), which is a nationally uniform index for reporting and predicting daily air quality across the country.
