Massive NJ wildfire that forced thousands to flee inferno could be state's largest in decades

Yahoo

20-05-2025

New Jersey firefighters are still battling a massive blaze in the southern part of the state, which officials say could wind up being the largest wildfire in the Garden State in the last 20 years.
The Jones Road Wildfire — which broke out Tuesday morning in Lacey and Ocean townships in Ocean County — now stands at 13,500 acres (21 square miles) burned and has been 50% contained, New Jersey Forest Fire Service said Wednesday evening.
Evacuation orders have been entirely lifted for the 5,000 Lacey and Ocean Township residents, with zero injuries being reported as a result of the inferno, the agency reported.
Multiple buildings and vehicles have been destroyed, but the massive conflagration is known to have only destroyed one commercial building thus far, NJFFS said.
Both the Garden State Parkway and Route 9 have been reopened in both directions, according to officials.
Road closures remain in effect for parts of Route 532, Bryant Road and Jones Road, NJFFS added.
Air quality warning issued for NYC and Long Island as wildfire in NJ spreads to more than 13K acres
Massive NJ wildfire that forced thousands to flee inferno could be state's largest in decades
Evacuation orders lifted after fast-moving NJ wildfire shuts down major highway, prompts thousands to leave
NJ wildfire prompts evacuation orders for thousands as blaze explodes in size, closes part of Garden State Parkway
19-year-old Joseph Kling appears in court, charged with arson for allegedly sparking massive NJ wildfire
Power has been restored by Jersey Central Power & Light after the energy company cut electricity to 25,000 Garden Staters to protect firefighters in the field, the company said in a statement posted to Facebook.
Officials estimate the fire might not be completely extinguished until at least Saturday, based on its current containment level and upcoming weather patterns in the area, which had been under a severe drought until recently.
'We expect that number to grow, that ultimately we will see a greater number of acres affected,' New Jersey Forest Fire Service Commissioner Shawn LaTourette said, noting that the cause of the fire is still under investigation.
No residential structures have been burned, though over the course of fighting the fire some 1,300 were threatened.
Helicopters were dropping water on hotspots throughout Wednesday, the Forest Service said, adding that 'burnout operations are improving and strengthening containment lines.'
Bill Donnelly, chief of the New Jersey Forest Fire Service, pointed out the significant uptick in wildfire activity this year compared to 2024.
'This time last year, we were at 310 wildfires for a total of 315 acres burned,' Donnelly said. 'This year for the same period we're at 662 wildfires with 16,572 acres [26 square miles] burned.'
Donnelly also noted that a fire in Vineland in Cumberland County that ignited over the weekend currently stands at 1,327 acres (2 square miles) burned and has been 80% contained.
The Jones Road Wildfire forced thousands of residents to evacuate their homes and wound up closing down a 17-mile stretch of the Garden State Parkway, Route 9, Route 532, Lakeside Drive, Jones Road, Bryant Road and Route 72, according to the state forest fire agency.