Due to ongoing drought, wildfires are threatening several buildings in New Jersey

A wildfire in North Jersey threatened several buildings and forced road closures Saturday evening, officials said.

The fire is burning in the area of ​​Route 10 (Mount Pleasant Avenue) and Eisenhower Parkway in Livingston Township, the New Jersey Forest Fire Service said in a statement Saturday at 6 p.m

In an update around 9 p.m., state officials said the wildfire area had grown to 120 acres – up from 70 acres the previous day.

Still, they determined the fire was 60% contained and only ten structures were at risk. Up to 48 buildings were threatened early Saturday while authorities evacuated another six commercial establishments.

Residents were asked to avoid the area.

“When full containment is achieved, the fire is expected to be approximately 190 acres,” the state said Saturday evening.

Earlier in the day, the New Jersey Forest Fire Service announced it was supporting the Livingston Fire Department with 15 engines and 45 firefighters.

The cause of the forest fire remains under investigation.

All 21 New Jersey counties were under an alert until 7 p.m. Saturday as conditions remained favorable for wildfires and major wildfires. Emergency crews across the state were busy battling various bushfires on Saturday.

Given the ongoing incidents, a spokesman for the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection said Saturday evening that he could not immediately provide further information.

The forest fire department announced online that further updates on the forest fire will be released.

Aside from where the fire was reported in Livingston, road closures were imposed Saturday along Eisenhower Parkway, Naylon Avenue, Dorsa Avenue and Industrial Parkway.

In early October, a large brush fire in Medford burned approximately 30 acres before it was contained. And just this week, units were busy responding to a 77-acre wildfire in Rockaway.