2025 New Jersey Wildfire Season: California Branch Wildfire - Wharton State Forest ( March 23rd Update)

March 23rd, 6 PM

As of 6 PM the California Branch Fire has burned 2,300 acres in the Wharton State Forest near Waterford Township in Camden County, NJ. It is 80 percent contained. There continue to be road closures in Wharton State Forest and two campgrounds continue are still evacuated. There are still 18 structures near the wildfire and the fire continues to move away from these structures. Crews with equipment remain on scene fighting this wildfire. For more information not detailed in the NJFFS graphic from the X platform, please go the NJFFS March 23rd, 6 PM post on Facebook. NJ dot com has a current article on this wildfire that may be found here.

WILDFIRE UPDATE: California Branch Wildfire - Wharton State Forest - Waterford, Camden County

The New Jersey Forest Fire Service continues to make significant process containing a wildfire burning in the area of Raritan Ave and Old Atsion Rd in Wharton State Forest. pic.twitter.com/A7y8pUlvDr

— New Jersey Forest Fire Service (@njdepforestfire) March 23, 2025

March 23rd, 8:10 AM

As of 8:10 AM the California Branch Wildfire has burned 1,750 acres and is at 50 percent containment.

The California Branch Wildfire started on Saturday, March 23rd in Wharton State Forest in Waterford Township, Camden County NJ, see my March 22nd post for earlier updates. By 11 PM on March 22nd, the fire had burned 1,000 acres and was at 20 percent containment according to this Facebook Post by the NJ Forest Fire Service. 

According to the 8 AM update on Facebook from the NJFFS Crews from the New Jersey Forest Fire Service (NJFFS) continued to work the fire overnight and are continuing to work the wildfire as I write this. Eighteen structures are located near the wildfire but the wildfire is still moving away from these structures. There are road closures within Wharton State Forest and two campgrounds are closed. Last night the wildfire crossed the Mullica River into Burlington County, NJ. NBC 10 Philadelphia continues to report on the wildfire. The B10 NJ Wildfire Page is reporting on this wildfire on March 23rd.

Unfortunately, I am unable to embed the latest 8AM update from the NJFFS's X account, formerly Twitter. The graphic above is from the NJFFS's Facebook account which I linked to earlier in this paragraph, unfortunately some of you will not be able to see this graphic.