Sections of Route 9 have been forced to be shut down. There are voluntary evacuations for residents in the area, with a shelter set up at Pinelands Regional High School.

Chopper 6 was overhead Sunday night as firefighters from across the state worked to get the blaze under control.

Officials report about 70 firefighters with the New Jersey Forest Fire Service from the central and southern parts of the state battled to get the fire under control. About 150 structural firefighters from 39 municipal fire departments worked to protect the surrounding homes.

Gill said this fire is occurring at the backend of fire season.

“It varies depending on the piece of ground where a fire can happen,” he said. “It’ll vary from a quarter acre to a larger fire like this one. It all depends on the ground, fuel type, terrain. There are several factors that go into what determines the size of a fire.”

Firefighters have begun conducting what they call “burnout operations,” where they set smaller, controlled fires in hopes of protecting homes along Stage Road and the Offshore Manor Development along Route 9 in Little Egg Harbor.

“Which is the process where we eliminate the forest fuel on the ground from a secured area. In this situation, it’s a hard top road all the way around the fire,” Gill said.

Residents are being asked to avoid the area.

No injuries have been reported. The cause of the fire is still under investigation.