The wildfire that appears to have been sparked during a training mission at the Warren Grove Gunnery Range has raised some serious questions about the safety of the facility.

Military officials say the range serves a vital purpose in training American troops. However, three south Jersey lawmakers are asking for it to be shut down. In a letter to New Jersey?s Congressional delegation, state Sen. Len Connors, Assemblyman Chris Conners and Assemblyman Brian Rumpf expressed concerns about the range. They questioned whether the facility can continue to operate without causing a significant threat to the life and property of people nearby.

The U.S. Military has not yet taken responsibility for the massive forest fire in Ocean County. However, it does admit a flare released by an F-16 jet appears to have sparked the flames. If the military is found to blame, it would be the fifth incident involving the range in less than a decade.

In November 2004, a fighter jet accidentally strafed the Little Egg Harbor Intermediate School at night with 27 rounds. No one was injured in the incident. In January 2002, an F-16 returning from another training mission crashed just off the Garden State Parkway. Stray bombs also sparked wildfires that consumed more than 27,000 combined acres in 1999 and 2001.

Despite the concerns, military officials said the range?s safety history is good. They say approximately 3,000 missions are flown there each year and the number of incidents is very low.

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