The fire was located in a remote area of the state park in drought-plagued Sussex County, making it difficult for firefighters to battle the blaze
Officials said a brush fire destroyed several acres of Wawayanda State Park on Sunday WEST MILFORD -- A brush fire broke out Sunday and was expected to burn overnight in Wawayonda State Park in drought-plagued Sussex County, the state Department of Environmental Protection said.
The fire was first reported at about 4 p.m., and had consumed about 10 acres of woodland as of about 8:30 p.m., said Larry Hajna, a DEP spokesman.
Firefighters had difficulty getting to the blaze due to its "very remote" location off the park's Laurel Pond Trail, Hajna said in an email.
About 20 firefighters from the New Jersey Forest Fire Service responded to the fire and were expected to be battling the blaze overnight, Hajna said. The amount of acreage destroyed by the fire was expected to rise, Hajna said.
The cause of the fire was under investigation, said Hajna, who could not say whether drought conditions had contributed to the start or the spread of the blaze.
Sussex was among 14 New Jersey counties included in a drought warning issued by the DEP on Oct. 21, in the state's worst dry spell in 14 years.
Last week, water in the state's largest reservoir, Round Valley in Hunterdon County, dropped to its lowest level ever recorded.
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