Seeing smoke? NJ forest fire burning hundreds of acres

CHATSWORTH — Crews continued Monday morning to fight a fire in the forest near the border of Ocean and Burlington counties.

Firefighters remained all night into Monday, trying to contain the fire that broke out Sunday afternoon near Lake Oswego, DEP spokeswoman Caryn Schinske told the Asbury Park Press. More than 800 acres had been burned by the fire, which sent plumes of grey smoke into the air that could be seen from the Garden State Parkway, according to Schinske.

The Ocean County Sheriff's Department said winds were blowing the smell of smoke into southern Ocean County on Sunday night.

The area of the fire is adjacent to Penn State Forest bordered by the Parkway, Routes 72 and 539, and Green Bank Chatsworth Road.

Low relative humidity and fairly dry material in the forest are ideal conditions for the development of forest fires, according to the National Weather Service. Sea and bay breezes will move inland during the day on Monday and could suddenly increase causing "erratic conditions" that can affect the growth and spread of fires.