Fires rage along New Jersey Turnpike near Newark Liberty International Airport
Smoke clouded the New Jersey Turnpike Tuesday afternoon as a series of brush fires burned near Newark Liberty International Airport.
Fire crews worked to extinguish several significant blazes at the start of rush hour.
The City of Bayonne posted on social media that the fires started in Elizabeth. Newark Liberty International officials assured passengers the Elizabeth Fire Department was on the job at 4:38 p.m. and said the flames were not on airport property.
Drivers were warned of likely road delays, but the fire was not impacting flights into or out of the airport.
It wasn’t immediately clear how many fires were burning or how they started.
The Central Jersey Fire social media site for firefighter buffs said emergency workers were dealing with a three-alarm fire that may have involved downed power lines. Video posted online shows telephone poles burning. Flames were also spotted near active train tracks.
An ABC News helicopter filmed plumes of black smoke rising from the east side of the turnpike opposite the airport.
