Huge brush fire contained after burning dangerously close to Medford homes

MEDFORD, N.J. - A scary night unfolded for residents in Medford as a brush fire burned, encroaching on homes and properties.

Officials said the fire was 100 percent contained by Saturday morning, after fire crews responded to the blaze around 5 p.m. Friday evening, near Heath Road, in the Tamarac section of the Burlington County community.

Skyfox flew over the scene where huge plumes of smoke were plainly visible, along with huge flames leaping out of a grove of trees.

Nestled against and near the trees were a large number of homes, all sitting perilously close to the flames. Officials said 30 structures were in harm's way, at one point. The size of the fire at its largest grew to 30-acres,

Medford police and firefighters were placed strategically around the trees as fire crews worked to extinguish the flames. Medford's fire chief, Robert Dovi, said 35 different fire companies were at the scene, with more than 120 firefighters working to put the fire out. They used natural barriers and burned out fuel to contain the flames, which enabled homeowners to remain in their homes.

Benjamin Brick, with the New Jersey Forest Fire Service, stated, "Everyone sheltered in place and we were able to contain the fire before it hit any of the homes. There were some people who were scared, but we assured them that we were here and they were safe. Some of them told us about that if there is an evacuation , do we need some extra assistance because they were older and, duly noted that and we didn’t have to get that far."

Dovi explained, "We brought in a lot of mutual aid companies to assist us. The guys worked real hard, along with New Jersey Forest Fire Service to provide fire suppression and protections for the homes that were out there."

There were no details on how the blaze may have been ignited. Firefighters with the NJ Forest Fire Service will stay and monitor the area until significant rainfall creates a more stable environment. Residents should expect some residual smoke until there is rainfall to dissipate.