Firefighters early Tuesday afternoon continued to work toward containing a wild fire that has burned more than 1,000 acres in the Pine Barrens on the Burlington-Ocean County line.

A helicopter drops water on the Pine Barrens fire
A helicopter drops water on the Pine Barrens fire (NJ Forest Fire Service)
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"We're confident that the fire is holding steady," New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection Larry Hajna told Townsquare Media in a phone call from the Greenwood Forest Wildlife Management Area just off Route 72.

Hajna said the fire was 65 percent contained and believed that it could be fully contained by late Tuesday afternoon.

There are no structures in the area of the fire, according to Hajna.

The smell of the smoke continues to drift east toward Ocean County and southern Monmouth County. Toms River Harry Rogers says he can still smell the smoke in Toms River and some smoke is visible in the sky.

Hajna says around 50 firefighters are working towards containing the blaze including 15 brush trucks, 2 water tankers and and two plows. Several local fire companies are also helping. Fallen trees, leaves and bushes and a dryer than normal summer all contributed to the fire, which Hajna says looks to have started in a remote area off Woodmansie Road in Woodland. The cause of the fire remains under investigation.

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