A contained brush fire in Burlington County near the Jackson Township border will continue to spread a strong smell of smoke across much of Ocean County today and into Wednesday, Ocean County Sheriff Michael G. Mastronardy said.

The fire, which broke out in a wooded section of Burlington County on Monday morning, burned nearly 1,000 acres of Pinelands before being contained overnight Monday and early Tuesday.

The fire poses no threat to homes or businesses, but the strong odor of smoke will continue to impact many sections of Ocean County, Mastronardy said.

“The lack of wind and the high heat and humidity means the smoke is just going to stay in place,” Mastronardy said.

Mastronardy also asked residents not to call 911 about the smell of smoke.

“Please do not call 911 unless it is an actual emergency,” he said. “We need to keep our operators free to handle emergency calls.”

Leslie D. Terjesen, spokesperson for the Ocean County Health Department, advised anyone with asthma or other pulmonary issues to stay indoors and avoid breathing the smoke.

“Stay inside indoors and let the air conditioning run,” she said.

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