UNITED STATES NEWS

Massive New Jersey Pine Barrens fire now fully contained

Apr 13, 2023, 9:31 AM

MANCHESTER, N.J. (AP) — A fire that tore through 6 square miles (15 square kilometers) of New Jersey’s Pine Barrens this week has now ben fully contained, authorities said Thursday.

The blaze in Manchester, near Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst, forced the evacuation of around 170 homes late Tuesday, with police and fire officials going door-to-door to ask people to take temporary shelter at a nearby high school.

Firefighters were confronted by 200-foot (60-meter) flames as they battled the blaze, which rained down embers. Helicopters filled large containers with water from a nearby lake Wednesday and dropped it on the flames.

No one was injured and no homes were damaged, The cause remains under investigation.

Forest fires are a common occurrence in the Pine Barrens, a 1.1 million-acre state and federally protected reserve about halfway between Philadelphia to the west and the Atlantic coast to the east.

Dry, windy conditions similar to those in New Jersey have sparked fires in other states this week.

A wildfire that has burned 100 acres in south-central Wisconsin and forced evacuations has been contained, state officials said Thursday.

The fire began Wednesday in the town of Necedah in Juneau County, about 90 mile (145 kilometers) northwest of Madison, and forced about a dozen people to evacuate, according to the state Department of Natural Resources. Emergency workers also evacuated several structures in the fire’s path.

DNR officials said no one was injured but residents remained evacuated as of Thursday morning and there was no timeframe for their return.

Meanwhile, another Wisconsin fire along the edge of Fort McCoy that broke out Wednesday has forced about 15 people in Jackson County to evacuate and another 40 to 50 people in Monroe County to evacuate. Another 13 people were evacuated from an assisted living facility. That fire has consumed about 2,800 acres and was about 50% contained as of Thursday morning.

United States News

Associated Press

Lawsuit accuses Sean Combs, 2 others of raping 17-year-old girl in 2003; Combs denies allegations

NEW YORK (AP) — A woman sued the hip-hop mogul Sean “Diddy” Combs on Wednesday, claiming he and two other men raped her 20 years ago in a New York City recording studio when she was 17. The woman, whose name wasn’t disclosed in the court filing, is the fourth person to file a lawsuit […]

6 minutes ago

Associated Press

Republicans threaten contempt proceedings if Hunter Biden refuses to appear for deposition

WASHINGTON (AP) — House Republicans are warning Hunter Biden that they will move to hold him in contempt of Congress if he doesn’t appear this month for a closed-door deposition, raising the stakes in the growing standoff over testimony from President Joe Biden’s son. Hunter Biden has insisted that he will only testify to the […]

16 minutes ago

Associated Press

Three North Carolina Marines were found dead in a car with unconnected exhaust pipes, autopsies show

RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) — Three Marines found dead from carbon monoxide poisoning in a car outside a North Carolina gas station in July were in a vehicle with unconnected and rusted exhaust pipes, according to newly released autopsy findings. The Pender County Sheriff’s Office had already said months ago that autopsies performed on Camp Lejeune […]

36 minutes ago

Associated Press

Indiana’s appeals court hears arguments challenging abortion ban under a state religious freedom law

INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — Indiana’s Court of Appeals questioned attorneys this week on exceptions to the state’s abortion ban in a case involving residents who are suing on grounds that it violates a state religious freedom law. The class action lawsuit, filed by the American Civil Liberties Union of Indiana on behalf of five anonymous residents […]

52 minutes ago

FILE - Former President Donald Trump speaks during a Commit to Caucus rally, Saturday, Dec. 2, 2023...

Associated Press

Trump tells supporters, ‘Guard the vote.’ Here’s the phrase’s backstory and why it’s raising concern

Former President Donald Trump is urging supporters to “guard the vote” during next year’s election, a phrase that has set off alarm bells among pro-democracy advocates who say it signals permission to take extreme measures that could intimidate voters and threaten election workers. The phrase is a relatively novel one for Trump, though activists in […]

54 minutes ago

Associated Press

Michigan high court declines to immediately hear appeal of ruling allowing Trump on primary ballot

LANSING, Mich. (AP) — The Michigan Supreme Court refused Wednesday to immediately hear an appeal of a lower court’s ruling that would allow former President Donald Trump’s name on the state’s presidential primary ballot. The state Supreme Court said the case should remain before the state court of appeals, and not immediately move to Michigan’s […]

2 hours ago

Sponsored Articles

Follow @KTAR923...

The 2023 Diamondbacks are a good example to count on the underdog

The Arizona Diamondbacks made the World Series as a surprise. That they made the playoffs at all, got past the Milwaukee Brewers in the NL Wild Card round, swept the Los Angeles Dodgers in the NLDS and won two road games in Philadelphia to close out a full seven-game NLCS went against every expectation. Now, […]

Follow @KTAR923...

West Hunsaker at Morris Hall supports Make-A-Wish Foundation in Arizona

KTAR's Community Spotlight this month focuses on Morris Hall and its commitment to supporting the Make-A-Wish Foundation in Arizona.

...

Midwestern University

Midwestern University: innovating Arizona health care education

Midwestern University’s Glendale Campus near Loop 101 and 59th Avenue is an established leader in health care education and one of Arizona’s largest and most valuable health care resources.

Massive New Jersey Pine Barrens fire now fully contained