3:30 PM UPDATE: All evacuation orders have been lifted.


1 PM UPDATE: The Franklin Township Police Department is evacuating all people within a 1-mile radius of the fire as a precaution.


Firefighters have their hands full this morning as they battle a massive blaze in lower Gloucester County.

The fire broke out Thursday morning at a pool business/commercial building on Harding Highway in Franklin Township, between Newfield and Buena. Conflicting reports place the fire in the vicinity of the 600 to 900 blocks of that road.

The Gloucester County Office of Emergency Management reports multiple fire departments have responded and are working with county hazmat teams.

The New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection is also monitoring air quality in the area.

Schools evacuated

The nearby Main Road School in Franklin Twp. has been evacuated as a precaution for possible changing winds. Students and faculty have been relocated to the Reutter School. Parents with children attending Main Road School should check for a message from the Franklin Township School District.

WPVI-TV reports Our Lady of Mercy Academy is also being evacuated. Students there are being moved to St. Augustine Preparatory School in Richland, Buena Vista Twp.

Harding Hwy. (U.S. Route 40) is closed between Main and Blue Bell Roads.

No injuries have been reported.

This is a developing story that will be updated as more information becomes available.

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