From The Press of Atlantic City — Gone were the tree-high flames and miles-long gray plumes, but as Wednesday wore on and crews sprayed and splashed for a second day, the fire in Wharton State Forest was not getting smaller.

By 4:15 p.m., the day-old blaze had spread to 1,800 acres, Forest Fire Service spokesman Willie Cirone said. Other officials’ estimates had sized the fire at more than 1,000 acres by 10 a.m., 1,200 acres by 11:45 a.m. and 1,500 acres at about 12:30 p.m.

One thing was clear: The fire was expanding eastward, east of the smoke-drenched Route 206, which might reopen to through traffic this morning.

Officials have not pinpointed what started the fire or predicted when it is likely to be extinguished. The federal National Interagency Fire Center predicts fire fuel in the mid-Atlantic region will be “very dry” today and Friday, creating a low to moderate risk of a large fire – or, in Wharton’s case, another.

Fire officials said the “turf” of leaves and needles is 6 inches deep throughout much of Wharton, explaining why the fire has gotten so much wider, if significantly less high.

“It’ll tend to burn like a charcoal briquette,” said Bert Plante, division fire warden.

Cirone said the blaze is 40 percent contained, after an estimate of less than 20 percent containment Tuesday night.

“The Pines are a fire ecosystem, which makes them resilient. So they’ll return,” said Elaine Makatura, spokeswoman for the state Department of Environmental Protection.

Bare trees in all directions pierced a low, drifting blanket of smoke akin to fog on a lake. Black Hawk helicopters repeatedly flung 250-gallon buckets of water on the fire’s advancing edge, dipping into Atsion Lake to reload. Meanwhile, bulldozers plowed roads and firefighters hosed down hot spots.

Firefighter Shawn Judy, who was beginning a second 12-hour shift Wednesday afternoon, said Wharton’s rugged terrain complicates the response: “It’s inaccessible for a lot of these trucks.”

Although 20 to 25 mph winds continued to fuel the fire Wednesday, Cirone said it was “very fortunate” that they were blowing south, keeping the fire away from the neighborhoods and businesses immediately to its north, outside the park.

Residents and owners of the six homes and two businesses – George’s Used Auto Parts and Nina’s Cafe – within the fire zone were allowed to return at about noon Wednesday. Calls to several of their phone numbers went unanswered Wednesday evening.

The farms south and west of the forest are not considered at risk, division fire warden Greg McLaughlin said. As for the forest’s wild animals, there have been no reports of mass flight from the fire scene.

“Any wildlife that survives living in the Pine Barrens of New Jersey gets pretty used to this kind of thing,” Plante said.

A firefighter’s irregular heartbeat and a traffic cop being clipped by a car – and refusing medical attention – are the only known injuries from the firefight. More than 200 volunteers have been involved, officials said.

The growing fire is smaller and far less dangerous to developed areas than the May 2007 blaze in southern Ocean County. A fighter jet’s errant flare above the Warren Grove Gunnery Range sparked a 17,000-acre wildfire that destroyed homes and forced thousands of people to evacuate.

Wharton’s 115,000 acres make it the state’s largest tract of parkland.

Deptford resident Frank Messick’s hobbies are ham-radio operation and photographing fires, so when he heard the news on his scanner Tuesday afternoon, he brought his camera to Wharton immediately. He shot pictures for hours – “I’m surprised they didn’t chase me out” – then slept in his truck at an Atsion Lake camp site.

Messick, a 55-year-old merchant seaman, was impressed with the response.

“They tracked this one down fast,” he said.

View the Photo Gallery of the Wharton State Forest fire
View the Video Gallery of the Wharton State Forest fire