Base officials said the evacuations in the Browns Mills section of Pemberton Township are a precautionary measure
JOINT BASE MCGUIRE-DIX-LAKEHURST -- Burlington County residents were evacuated from their homes Wednesday afternoon due to a forest fire at nearby Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst.
Base officials said the evacuations in the Browns Mills section of Pemberton Township are a precautionary measure until the blaze can be contained.
"Tri-base officials are aggressively working with the Burlington Fire Department and the New Jersey Forest Fire Service to contain the fire," Senior Airman Lauren Pitts said.
"The cause of this fire is still under investigation," Pitts said. "It's not uncommon for this to happen."
Firefighters contain 2K-acre joint base fire
Residents forced from their homes were being sent to a senior center on Dearborn Road, according to 6ABC.com, which had a helicopter overhead.
Pitts says that in the past routine training exercises have resulted in fires. Hot and windy weather combined with the firing of weapons or heated bullet casings are a common recipe for brush fires.
Roughly 2,000 acres burned in a wildfire last week that started on a training range and was visible for miles.
Base service members regularly train to fight the fires that arise as a result of training and are well-prepared to battle the blaze, said Pitts.
Officials do not yet have an estimate on size of the fire.
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