UPDATE: N.J. forest fire grows to 8,000 acres, and it’s only half-contained so far

A fire fueled by high winds ripped through at least 5,000 acres of state forest in the Pinelands on Saturday and was 10 percent contained by late in the evening, officials said.

The fire, which sent plumes of black smoke visible in several counties, was reported at 1:45 p.m. in Penn State Forest in Woodland Township, Burlington County, near the Ocean County border, said Larry Hajna, a spokesman for the state Department of Environmental Protection, which includes the state Forest Fire Service.

“We’ve got 1,000 acres at this point and 0 percent containment,” Hajna said in a 6:15 p.m. phone interview.

The figure had increased to 5,000 acres by 10 p.m., he said, adding that the fire was 10 percent contained.

Hajna said the blaze, dubbed the Spring Hill Wildfire, was located within an area of woodlands with few dwellings or other buildings, and no injuries were reported or evacuations ordered.

Some structures are threatened, Hajna reported late Saturday night, but local fire departments are keeping an eye on those, he said, while the state forest fire service focuses on controlling the overall wildfire.

Residents of the township’s Chatsworth Section, located south of the fire in the direction it was headed, were notified that a voluntary shelter was set up in an elementary school for those choosing to flee.

High winds in the region contributed to the rapid spread of the blaze, Hajna said.

Multiple fire departments from Burlington and Ocean counties responded to the blaze, which was also being fought with air tankers dropping water from above and bulldozers to create fire breaks, Hajna said.

The state forest is bounded by Route 72 to the northeast, Route 563 to the West and Route 539 to the east. The Ocean County Sheriff’s office posted on Facebook that Route 539 was closed in the area of the fire.

Officials said the smoke was visible at least as far north as Freehold, in central Monmouth County.

Richard and Michelle Zoll were driving to their home in Manahawkin from west of the blaze just before 5 p.m., when they were forced to detour south by about 30 miles.

“You could see big plumes of smoke coming up,” Richard Zoll said. “It looked pretty massive.”

A fire that began in Penn State Forest in Burlington County Saturday afternoon had consumed more than 1,000 acres by early evening, when officials said it continued to burn out of control.

Steve Strunsky may be reached at sstrunsky@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @SteveStrunsky. Find NJ.com on Facebook. Get the latest updates right in your inbox. Subscribe to NJ.com’s newsletters.