Crime & Safety
Large Brush Fire Along Parkway in Cheesequake State Park Under Control
The approximately 5-acre fire caused state police to close the right lane on the southbound side Thursday morning.
Flames and thick smoke could be seen billowing from Cheesequake State Park by Garden State Parkway commuters Thursday morning as a fire quickly spread through the brush.
New Jersey State Police received a call around 9 a.m. alerting them of the fire near the guardrail on the southbound side of the Parkway near milemarker 122. About fifteen minutes later, officers closed the right lane while firefighters from Old Bridge, Laurence Harbor, Cheesequake and Sayreville worked to bring the approximately five acre blaze under control.
The traffic lane was reopened at about 10:30 a.m., according to state police, as fire departments finished up at the scene.
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The New Jersey Forest Fire Service (NJFFS) also responded.
Cheesequake State Park Superintendent David Donnelly said the cause and exact size of the fire was not immediately known. However, he added that he wouldn't be surprised if a cigarette was found to be the culprit.
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"It was probably a cigarette butt because it was right on the edge of the guardrail," he said.
Tell us: Did you see the fire this morning on the Parkway?
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