Large, wind-driven brush fire burning near Cheesequake State Park in Old Bridge

     The general area of the large brush fire, which is burning within a marshy area north and east of Washington Avenue in Old Bridge.

    The general area of the large brush fire, which is burning within a marshy area north and east of Washington Avenue in Old Bridge.

    Firefighters are battling a large, wind-driven multi-alarm brush fire near Cheesequake State Park in Old Bridge that broke out shortly before 9:00 a.m. today.

    Crews from the New Jersey Forest Fire Service (NJFFS) responded and quickly requested helicopters to the scene, which is to the north and east of Washington Avenue near Route 34, according to a tweet from NJFFS Section B10.

    “Multiple acres [are burning] heading into the park,” the tweet from shortly after 9:00 a.m. indicated.

    While the fire is within a marshy area, emergency radio transmissions indicate that as a precaution, the fire commander on scene quickly requested crews to protect nearby structures on Washington Avenue, requiring the evacuation of some homes.

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    A tanker task force, comprised of numerous fire stations from Monmouth County, was en route to supply water around 10:30 a.m., according to Monmouth County Police, Fire, and EMS

    Shortly after noon, authorities closed a portion of Route 34 near the scene, according to 511nj.org. 

    The smoke plume from the fire is registering on Doppler radar

    Due to gusty winds, low humidity, and dry vegetation, there is a “critical” risk of wildfire spread today, according to the National Weather Service.

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