3 fast-spreading wildfires in NJ right now threaten over 100 structures

🔥 Over 100 structures are threatened by the three fires

🔥 A Red Flag Warning is in effect for Friday

🔥 There is a chance of some rain over the weekend

New Jersey firefighters are handling three wildfires across the state as dry conditions continue.

The Bethany Run Wildfire threatened 104 buildings in the heavily wooded area along the border of Evesham and Voorhees, according to the New Jersey Forest Fire Service. The area is a combination of houses, campgrounds, critical infrastructure and industrial buildings, including one with a full array of solar panels. Twelve buildings were evacuated.

The fire torched 200 acres and remained out of control as of Thursday afternoon.

Access to the Sturbridge Lakes Development in Voorhees and Kettle Run Road is closed from Braddock Mill to Hopewell roads.

The Forest Fire Service said a helicopter that can drop 350 gallons of water at a time was brought in along with fire engines, bulldozers and ground crews.

The newest wildfire was reported in the Glassboro Wildlife Management Area in Gloucester County. Crews are creating firelines, conducting a backfire operation and burning fuel in the fire's path to slow its pace.

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Fire in Ocean County

Fire crews also remain on the scene of the Shotgun fire in the Colliers Mills Wildlife Management Area along Stump Tavern Road in Jackson. The fire, now 75% contained, has burned 300 acres. Residents of six homes were allowed to return Thursday.

Flames were 6 to 8 feet high when firefighters arrived Wednesday afternoon. Winds gusting to 25 mph out of the southwest power the flames.

“This is the driest we've been in the agency's history,” Jeremy Webber, a supervising fire warden with the Fire Service, said during a briefing about the recent wildfire.

Lack of significant rainfall since August contributed to the dry conditions, which prompted the state to impose strict restrictions on outdoor fires. Contributing to the fires are a lot of leaf litter and needles that are falling down onto the fire.

"We don't want the fire to ignite and reburn," Carey said during a briefing about the fire Thursday.

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Rain on the way?

Conditions will get worse before they get better, according to New Jersey 101.5 Chief Meteorologist Dan Zarrow.

Low humidity and gusty winds will combine to create a Red Flag Warning condition on Friday between 8 a.m. and 3 p.m. Wind will be 5-10 mph out of the west with gusts up to 30 mph. Any fire that develops will catch and spread quickly, according to the National Weather Service.

Then we could get our first significant rain in over a month, according to Zarrow.

"We’ve got a real good chance of showers on Sunday and Monday as a cold from crosses the area which could draw in some precipitation from Hurricane Rafael. Fingers crossed we could get up to a half-inch of rain," Zarrow said.

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