NJ wildfire burns nearly 12K acres; evacuation orders lifted in Ocean County
The Brief
A wildfire burning in Ocean County, NJ has consumed nearly 12,000 acres, officials said.
As of the New Jersey Forest Fire Service's last update, the wildfire was 30% contained.
Evacuation orders were lifted in Lacey Township and Ocean Township.
NEW JERSEY - A fast-moving wildfire burning in Ocean County, New Jersey has consumed nearly 12,000 acres and forced thousands of people to evacuate, though that order has since been lifted.
NJ WILDFIRE UPDATE: ROADS AFFECTED l GSP TRAFFIC l MAP l AIR QUALITY
The Jones Road Wildfire sparked on Tuesday in the Greenwood Forest Wildlife Management Area near Barnegat Township and quickly began to grow in size.
What we know
As of the New Jersey Forest Fire Service's (NJFFS) last updateon Wednesday, just before 11 a.m., the wildfire had consumed 11,500 acres and was 30% contained. Around 20 structures were threatened. Evacuation orders were lifted in Lacey Township and Ocean Township.
Meanwhile, acting NJ Gov. Tahesha Way has declared a state of emergency in response to the wildfire.
"I am declaring a State of Emergency in Ocean County due to the Jones Road Wildfire in the Greenwood Forest Wildfire Management Area near Lacey, Ocean, and Barnegat Townships," Way said in a post on X.
The Garden State Parkway was closed in both directions between exits 63 and 80, but has since reopened Wednesday morning.
Click HERE to open the embedded map in your browser.
On Tuesday, dark smoke and ash were observed blowing across the parkway in surrounding Ocean County communities to the north and east, including Toms River, and closer to the beach in Seaside Heights.
Forest Fire Service fire engines, bulldozers and ground crews, as well as numerous local fire, rescue, county and state agencies were called in to help extinguish the wildfire.
What we don't know
The cause of the wildfire was unknown at the time.
Drought levels in Ocean County are abnormally dry to moderate, according to the U.S. Drought Monitor, but have been worsening over the past week. Nearly 80% of the Garden State is facing some level of drought.
As of Wednesday morning, Jersey Central Power and Light reports that over 25,000 customers are without power. Officials say power was preemptively shut off to prevent further risk from arcing lines.
The status of the grid near the Oyster Creek nuclear facility is currently unknown.
AirNow has an interactive Fire and Smoke Map for updates on blazes in your area.
The National Interagency Fire Center has also partnered with NASA to provide real-time interactive fire maps.
This map from AirNow.gov shows the current air quality. Click HERE if you're having trouble viewing the embedded map.
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