Firefighters get the upper hand in Pinelands blaze

Firefighters in South Jersey continued to battle an 1,800 acre blaze in the Pine Barrens this morning and have successfully contained about 50 percent of the inferno, officials said.

A 10-mile stretch of Route 206, closed because of heavy smoke, reopened shortly after noon today.

The blaze, which began Tuesday afternoon, is being investigated as suspicious.

About 50 firefighters remain at the scene.

Gusty winds, which have encouraged the spread of the blaze, are expected to die down and change direction, Petrini said.

"It may push the major amount of smoke towards Philadelphia, so you may smell it there," Petrini said, adding that people in Vineland had reported catching a whiff of the acrid scent.

A handful of residents who evacuated Tuesday returned to their houses last night.

"There's no threat to their homes," Petrini said.

Despite the size of the blaze, only two minor injuries have been reported. On Tuesday, a police officer was struck by a vehicle as he directed traffic and a firefighter was hospitalized briefly after complaining of chest pains.