State of Emergency declared in Ocean County as 11,500 acre wildfire continues burning in NJ​on April 23, 2025 at 9:52 pm

OCEAN TWP., N.J. (WPVI) — A State of Emergency has been declared in Ocean County as a raging wildfire continues to burn, according to Acting New Jersey Governor Tahesha Way. The fire, which began Tuesday morning, has consumed thousands of acres and forced some residents to flee their homes.

In an 11 a.m. update on Wednesday, the New Jersey Forest Fire Service said the blaze grew to 11,500 acres with 30% containment.

In an update just before 11 a.m. on Wednesday, the New Jersey Forest Fire Service said the blaze has grown to 11,500 acres with 30% containment. They expect the number of impacted acres to grow before the fire is fully contained.

Officials also said this could end up being the largest wildfire in New Jersey in 20 years.

This, as 100 firefighters continue to battle the blaze.

While the fire is still very active, fire officials said they expect it to grow in unpopulated areas.

Based on the weather forecast, the fire is expected to continue until we get rain, which should move into the area Friday night into Saturday.

Way, who has stepped in as Gov. Phil Murphy travels to Poland, posted on social media, saying there has been no loss of life and no homes have been damaged.

There is an Air Quality Alert in South Jersey due to the wildfire smoke; fire now 30% contained

Officials said approximately 1,320 structures were threatened but said no residential structures have been lost. However, one commercial building, as well as multiple outbuildings and vehicles have been destroyed by the fire.

All evacuation orders have been lifted, and the Garden State Parkway and Route 9 have reopened in both directions as of Wednesday morning, according to officials.

The fight continues against a wildfire in Ocean County, New Jersey that has consumed thousands of acres since it erupted Tuesday.

What we know about the fire

The “Jones Road Wildfire” was detected by the Cedar Bridge Fire Tower around 9:45 a.m. on Tuesday at the Greenwood Forest Wildlife Management Area in Barnegat Township. By the evening, the flames spread into both Ocean and Lacey townships in the county.

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The fire has burned more than 13 square miles (34 square kilometers) of land, fire officials said.

There is an Air Quality Alert in South Jersey until midnight due to the wildfire smoke.

The smoke from the wildfire is so heavy that it is being picked up by radar.

Smoke from Jones Road Wildfire picked up on Storm Tracker radar

Chopper 6 was overhead Tuesday night as crews fought the inferno, as the smoky haze brought a stretch of the Garden State Parkway, one of New Jersey’s busiest highways, to a halt.

Chopper 6 overhead as NJ wildfire grows to 3,200 acres on April 22, 2025.

The cause of the wildfire is still under investigation, but officials noted that dry conditions in the southern part of the state have influenced the fire.

Evacuations

According to the New Jersey Forest Fire Service, 5,000 residents were forced to evacuate Tuesday night.

As of 6:30 a.m. Wednesday, all evacuation orders have been lifted. Residents can return home but are advised to use caution when traveling as heavy smoke remains in the area.

A raging wildfire in Ocean County, New Jersey, consumed thousands of acres Tuesday night, forcing residents to flee from their homes.

This includes Brookville and all the residences west of the Garden State Parkway, all the way to Route 9 ( Greenbriar, Laurelwyke, Birchwood, Cornerstone, Dogtown and anyone else that was mandated to evacuate).

For those who may still need shelter, the St. Mary’s Parish Center in Manahawkin is available.

Neighbors share videos of Jones Road Wildfire in New Jersey

Debbie Schaffer, of Waretown, was one of those who had to leave.

“It’s a little scary… like I didn’t have an emergency bag packed, so I was kind of walking in circles knowing I had to get out of there, but trying to think, ‘What do I need?'” she recalled.