Thousands flee New Jersey wildfires

Thousands of people have been forced to flee their homes as a wildfire threatens to burn out of control in the US state of New Jersey.

The blaze apparently started when a military jet dropped a flare on a National Guard bombing range about 25 miles north of Atlantic City.

Fire chiefs were hoping a rainstorm would help them douse the flames but this was balanced by fears of more high winds that have already whipped up columns of fire and smoke.

The fires have blackened thousands of acres of the New Jersey Pine Barrens, an area a few miles inland from the Atlantic Ocean.

The area is home to numerous retirement communities and many of their residents have moved out to local schools as smoke and flames advanced.

No deaths or injuries had been attributed to the fire but at least 13 homes were damaged or destroyed and about 6,000 people were evacuated from 2,500 homes along the borders of Ocean and Burlington counties.

© Independent Television News Limited 2007. All rights reserved.