The blaze was first sighted near the Bass State Forest in Little Egg Harbor Township at around 4 p.m. on Sunday, the New Jersey Forest Fire Service (NJFFS) said.

A spokesperson for the NJFFS said the fire had burned a large area in Burlington and Ocean counties that have “limited accessibility.”

The Associated Press added that dozens of firefighters had raced to the scenes to battle the larger blaze while others worked to set controlled fires in order to stop the inferno from spreading further.

NJFFS and 16 volunteer companies responded to wildfires that were reported in woodlands near Bass River State Forest, east of the Garden State Parkway and near Route 9, according to NBC10 Philadelphia.

In a statement posted to Facebook late on Sunday night, the NJFFS said: “Approximately 100 structures are at risk and the Pinelands Middle School is a designated shelter.

“Evacuation is voluntary. Additional firefighters are at the scene to protect property. Route 9 is closed due to smoke that will be prevalent throughout the area. Fire monitoring and control operations will continue throughout the night.”

Rob Gill, with the NJFFS, told Action News the fire has spread across an area of around 900 acres.

He told the outlet: “It varies depending on the piece of ground where a fire can happen. It’ll vary from a quarter acre to a larger fire like this one.

“It depends on the ground, fuel type, terrain. There are several factors that go into what determines the size of a fire.”

Gill added it is zero percent contained.

The cause of the fire is not known at this time and no injuries have been reported as of Monday morning.

Residents and others have been asked to avoid traveling to the area until the fire is under control.

The huge blaze was sparked towards the tail end of wildfire season in New Jersey, which is between mid-March to May.

Newsweek has contacted the NJFFS for comment.

In 2020, the NJFSS said that its firefighters had responded to more than 1,000 wildfires of which 12 were sparked from natural causes, such as lightning strikes.

It is estimated those wildfires burned nearly 4,800 acres of land.

The fire service has published advice to help avoid accidentally starting fires and encourages people to visit its website for more information and to secure permits for campfires.