New Jersey fire crews respond to brush fire in Hamilton Township, Atlantic County

Fire crews were called out to a brush fire in a residential area of Hamilton Township, Atlantic County, New Jersey, on Tuesday morning.

The fire is in the area of McCall Avenue and Jackson Road and as of 6 a.m. is considered mostly under control, New Jersey Forest Fire Service Chief Bill Donnelly said. 

The flames were in an area surrounded by homes that sit on roughly 2-3 acre lots. The structures were not damaged and no one was injured, he said.

"The fire was right in the middle of all those homes there," said Donnelly.

About 30 firefighters from Hamilton Township, the Weymouth Volunteer Fire Company and NJFFS were on the scene when the fire was at its worst. Now NJFFS will stay on the scene and continue to "mop up," according to Donnelly.

Van Pearson, a local resident, said he awoke around 3 a.m. to fire near his home. He credited the firefighters for a job well done.

"They did a great job, they're out here doing their thing," Pearson said.

The fire burned about 6 acres of woods, Donnelly said. 

The area where the fire broke out is under severe drought conditions, which can dry out vegetation and provide fuel for a blaze.

Combine that with a breeze around 10 mph, and low humidity, and conditions are ripe for any fire that does break out to spread quickly.

Wind gusts will pick up to around 30 mph later on Tuesday, according to our NEXT Weather team.

The National Weather Service also warned of elevated fire danger due to the conditions on Tuesday. Everyone is advised to avoid outdoor burning, and pay extra attention to extinguishing potential sparks for a fire like cigarette butts. Lawn equipment can also cause sparks if it comes into contact with the dry ground.

This drought has also threatened crop yields around the Garden State.

This is a developing story and will be updated.