New Jersey Wildfire Burns 11,500 Acres, Could Be State's Largest In 20 Years
New Jersey, US:
A sprawling wildfire burning in New Jersey's Pinelands near Atlantic Ocean beach towns could become the largest in the state in 20 years, having already consumed some 11,500 acres, officials said on Wednesday.
The Jones Road Wildfire had spread to 11,500 acres in less than 24 hours as of 10 a.m. on Wednesday and was 30 per cent contained, the New Jersey Fire Service said in a post on X. It was no longer threatening populated areas.
WILDFIRE UPDATE: Jones Road Wildfire - Ocean & Lacey Townships, Ocean County
New Jersey Forest Fire Service continues to make progress containing a wildfire burning in Ocean & Lacey Townships, Ocean County.
SIZE & CONTAINMENT
🔥 13,250 acres
🔥 50% contained pic.twitter.com/Zfas5p7pqt
— New Jersey Forest Fire Service (@njdepforestfire) April 23, 2025
The blaze could become the largest in New Jersey in 20 years, said Shawn LaTourette, the state's commissioner of environmental protection, at a press conference. A fire in 2005 in the same area consumed 17,000 acres.
Lieutenant Governor Tahesha Way declared a state of emergency beginning at 7 a.m. on Wednesday; Governor Phil Murphy is on an overseas trip.
"At this time, we have no loss of life and no homes have been harmed," Way said on X on Wednesday morning.
So far in 2025, New Jersey has experienced nearly twice as many wildfires as usual, with 662 wildfires burning 16,572 acres. That compares with about 310 wildfires burning 315 acres last year, state Forest Fire Service Chief Bill Donnelly said at the briefing.
On average, 1,500 wildfires damage or destroy 7,000 acres of the state's forests each year, the New Jersey Forest Fire Service said on its website.
The blaze started on Tuesday in the Greenwood Forest Wildlife Management Area near Lacey, Ocean and Barnegat townships in Ocean County, about halfway between Asbury Park and Atlantic City. The area, with a combined population of about 64,000 residents, is about 15 miles inland from the Atlantic Ocean shoreline.
About 1,300 homes were forced to evacuate on Tuesday, but the evacuation orders were lifted by Wednesday morning. In addition, a stretch of the Garden State Parkway, a major north-south highway, was closed on Tuesday but reopened Wednesday morning.
The cause of the fire remains under investigation, and there is no timeline for full containment.
The fire is expected to continue to burn for several days until rain comes on Friday or Saturday, New Jersey fire officials said at the briefing.
About 25,000 residents remain without power, according to the Jersey Central Power & Light, which is owned by FirstEnergy.
Embers from the fire sparked several small blazes near a de-commissioned nuclear power plant known as Oyster Creek, according to state officials. The plant, owned by Holtec International, shut down in 2018.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
NDTV
24-04-2025
- NDTV
New Jersey Wildfire Burns 11,500 Acres, Could Be State's Largest In 20 Years
New Jersey, US: A sprawling wildfire burning in New Jersey's Pinelands near Atlantic Ocean beach towns could become the largest in the state in 20 years, having already consumed some 11,500 acres, officials said on Wednesday. The Jones Road Wildfire had spread to 11,500 acres in less than 24 hours as of 10 a.m. on Wednesday and was 30 per cent contained, the New Jersey Fire Service said in a post on X. It was no longer threatening populated areas. WILDFIRE UPDATE: Jones Road Wildfire - Ocean & Lacey Townships, Ocean County New Jersey Forest Fire Service continues to make progress containing a wildfire burning in Ocean & Lacey Townships, Ocean County. SIZE & CONTAINMENT 🔥 13,250 acres 🔥 50% contained — New Jersey Forest Fire Service (@njdepforestfire) April 23, 2025 The blaze could become the largest in New Jersey in 20 years, said Shawn LaTourette, the state's commissioner of environmental protection, at a press conference. A fire in 2005 in the same area consumed 17,000 acres. Lieutenant Governor Tahesha Way declared a state of emergency beginning at 7 a.m. on Wednesday; Governor Phil Murphy is on an overseas trip. "At this time, we have no loss of life and no homes have been harmed," Way said on X on Wednesday morning. So far in 2025, New Jersey has experienced nearly twice as many wildfires as usual, with 662 wildfires burning 16,572 acres. That compares with about 310 wildfires burning 315 acres last year, state Forest Fire Service Chief Bill Donnelly said at the briefing. On average, 1,500 wildfires damage or destroy 7,000 acres of the state's forests each year, the New Jersey Forest Fire Service said on its website. The blaze started on Tuesday in the Greenwood Forest Wildlife Management Area near Lacey, Ocean and Barnegat townships in Ocean County, about halfway between Asbury Park and Atlantic City. The area, with a combined population of about 64,000 residents, is about 15 miles inland from the Atlantic Ocean shoreline. About 1,300 homes were forced to evacuate on Tuesday, but the evacuation orders were lifted by Wednesday morning. In addition, a stretch of the Garden State Parkway, a major north-south highway, was closed on Tuesday but reopened Wednesday morning. The cause of the fire remains under investigation, and there is no timeline for full containment. The fire is expected to continue to burn for several days until rain comes on Friday or Saturday, New Jersey fire officials said at the briefing. About 25,000 residents remain without power, according to the Jersey Central Power & Light, which is owned by FirstEnergy. Embers from the fire sparked several small blazes near a de-commissioned nuclear power plant known as Oyster Creek, according to state officials. The plant, owned by Holtec International, shut down in 2018.
Time of India
23-04-2025
- Time of India
New Jersey wildfire forces 5,000 residents to evacuate, spreads over 11,500 acres, state of emergency declared
A massive wildfire tearing through Ocean County, New Jersey, has ballooned to over 11,500 acres since erupting Tuesday, threatening homes, triggering mass evacuations, and shutting down a major highway. Driven by dry conditions and strong winds, the Jones Road Fire marks one of the state's largest in decades, with firefighters racing to contain its fast-moving flames. Blaze jumps highway, prompts state of emergency Emergency crews started fighting the fire near Barnegat Township, but it rapidly expanded while they used aircraft assets. Ongoing flames produced a dangerous leap across the Garden State Parkway that forced officials to restrict traffic on the major state route. State authorities activated a state of emergency as Acting Governor Tahesha Way released additional emergency resources. No one suffered any injuries throughout this situation. Evacuations leave thousands displaced and communities on edge Ocean and Lacey townshippers received orders to exit their homes right away. Numerous victims observed their houses transform into dark, blackened buildings as flames released ash throughout their boundaries. The fears of people returning home were intensified by uncertainty of their belongings remaining intact. The combined number of those who evacuated according to orders and personal decisions reached 5,000. 5 5 Next Stay Playback speed 1x Normal Back 0.25x 0.5x 1x Normal 1.5x 2x 5 5 / Skip Ads by by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Google Brain Co-Founder Breaks His Silence: Read These 5 Books And Turn Your Life Around Blinkist: Andrew Ng's Reading List Undo Firefighters battle surge in wildfires amid drought A hundred firefighters are actively fighting this fire both from the ground and by air to keep it under control. Local authorities aim to completely control the fire situation during the upcoming weekend. The dry weather conditions have made this year exceptionally active, according to fire service leader Bill Donnelly. Since the start of 2025, New Jersey has experienced twice as many wildfire occurrences as it did at this period during last year, and firefighters have currently extinguished fires across 16,500 acres. Officials have not determined the reason behind the Jones Road fire. Official optimism about controlling the fire increases as wind speeds decrease, while residents must maintain their alertness. Over 25,000 utility customers lost power after the fire started the power outage events. Officials emphasize safety precautions and continue to provide updates to everyone near the active fire zone as their teams continue to actively protect both human lives and property assets. Live Events FAQs: 1. What caused the New Jersey wildfire ? The exact cause is still under investigation by the New Jersey Forest Fire Service. 2. When will the wildfire be contained? Officials estimate full containment by the weekend, depending on weather conditions.
Time of India
23-04-2025
- Time of India
Wildfires in New Jersey explode to 8,500 acres, force mass evacuations and threaten structures: 10 points
A massive wildfire continued to burn New Jersey on Wednesday, spanning over 8,500 acres and prompting the evacuation of 3,000 people. The officials lifted earlier evacuation orders and a stretch of a major highway that was closed due to the blaze has reopened. A fast-moving wildfire in New Jersey's Ocean County forced around 3,000 residents to evacuate and shut down a section of one of the busiest highways in the state Tuesday night. ALSO READ: ' Stop this now': After claiming autism 'epidemic' in US, Robert F. Kennedy Jr's new plan faces massive backlash 5 5 Next Stay Playback speed 1x Normal Back 0.25x 0.5x 1x Normal 1.5x 2x 5 5 / Skip Ads by by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Wife won't let go of dog, husband finds out why and calls police - watch! Happy in Shape Undo Here are ten things on New Jersey's wildfires: - Thousands of New Jersey residents who were forced to flee the fast-moving flames of a wildfire Tuesday have been given the all-clear to return home. However, officials urged people to remain vigilant as thick smoke continues to choke communities close to the Jersey Shore. -More than 1,300 structures were threatened and about 3,000 residents had been evacuated, the New Jersey Forest Fire Service said. Officials said Wednesday morning that evacuation orders were lifted. Live Events -Video released by the state agency overseeing the fire service showed billowing white and black clouds of smoke, intense flames engulfing pines and firefighters dousing a charred structure. -New Jersey Acting Gov. Tahesha Way declared a State of Emergency in Ocean County starting at 8 a.m. due to the ongoing response to the Jones Road Wildfire , according to Fox Weather. ALSO READ: 'Already seen Donald Duck': Colombian President brutally mocks Trump, says US revoked his visa -The Jersey Central Power and Light Company cut power to about 25,000 customers at the request of the Forest Fire Service and the wildfire's command post Tuesday evening, including thousands in Barnegat Township. -The fire in the Greenwood Forest Wildlife Management Area burned more than 13 square miles (34 square kilometers) of land, fire officials said. The blaze, burning in Ocean and Lacey Townships in Ocean County, was only about 10% contained Tuesday night. -Ocean Township and Lacey Township police said all mandatory evacuation orders were lifted as of 6:30 a.m. Wednesday. ALSO READ: Pete Hegseth was called "abuser of women" by his mother: He admitted to having five affairs during first marriage -The fire also triggered a major traffic slowdown Tuesday evening with road closures along the Garden State Parkway. This morning, the New Jersey State Police announced that the Garden State Parkway and Route 9 near the fire zone are now open again. -Harrowing videos and photos shared on social media show orange flames consuming the forest area, and thick orange and black smoke rising into the sky. -By the afternoon, a 180-degree wind shift will push smoke north toward the New York City metro area by tonight. By Thursday morning, smoky skies are possible for New York City, parts of Long Island, and north-central New Jersey.
