New Jersey: Huge wildfire rages across 7,000 acres in Wharton State Forest

A raging wildfire in southern New Jersey has rapidly grown close to 7,200 acres in size on Monday (20 June) and is 45 per cent contained, according to the local forest fire service.

Firefighters are battling the blaze, fuelled by "dry and breezy conditions", at Wharton State Forest across four townships.

The wildfire has significantly grown since Sunday night, when it covered 2,100 acres.

No injuries have been reported, but 18 structures are threatened, according to a tweet from the New Jersey Forest Fire Service.

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