2023 New Jersey Wildfire Season: City Line and Buzby Boggs Wildfires (Burlington County), June 10th

June 10th, 9:18 PM

Earlier this evening the New Jersey Forest Fire Service (NJFFS) provided updates on progress made in containing the City Line and Buzby Boggs Wildfires.

NJFFS crews made a great deal of progress in containing the City Line Fire that has burned 850 acres in the Brendon J. Byrne State Forest. Local roads in the forest are reopened. 

Scroll down for earlier updates.

The Buzby Boggs Fire acreage burned is up to 700 acres and is at 65 percent containment. No structures are threatened. Great job New Jersey Forest Fire Crews and local fire companies for providing structure protection. Local road closures remain in place.

June 10th, 11:50 AM

Direct link to video from CBS Philadelphia on YouTube

Before I get to the status of the two fires. If you watch the media briefing, at about the 9 minute 20 second mark Assistant Fire Warden Bill Donnelly discusses the three phases of working a wildfire used by the New Jersey Forest Fire Service: containment, control, and declaring the fire out. Right now they are working on containing the City Line and the Buzby Boggs Fires, that is stopping the forward progress of the fire. A fire is contained when there are either man made lines or natural lines (water) or existing roads to box in or surround the fire in  (100 percent containment). The next step is controlling the fire. The fire is not declared out until the fire is 100 percent extinguished, under current weather conditions this could take a few weeks. {Note any errors are mine, if you are interested please listen to the appropriate portion of the media briefing for detailed information.

I watched the end of a live stream from CBS Philadelphia of the10 AM media briefing by the New Jersey Forest Fire Service where they discussed the current status of the City Line and the Buzby Boggs Wildfires, both burning in Burlington County. However, I missed the pertinent portion of the briefing where NJFFS officials discussed the status of each fire. Fortunately, I just found a video on YouTube of this media briefing that I have shared. In addition, Fox29 Philadelphia posted a report on the fire after the media briefing (with fire footage) that may be found here.

The City Line Fire has burned 850 acres in the Brendon J. Byrne State Forest and is currently at 50 percent containment. No structures are threatened and roads within the State Forest may be closed. See my June 9th post for earlier updates.

The Buzby Boggs Fire has burned 600 acres and is also at 50 percent containment with a road closure in the vicinity of the fire. Four or five structures are threatened, I believe but am not sure they are private residences. According to the media briefing, there are five residences threatened (not four) and residents in threatened houses are sheltering in place with structure protection provided by local fire companies. See this post on the Buzby Boggs fire for earlier updates.