According to the New Jersey Forest Fire Service, roughly 3,000 residents have been evacuated due to the raging flames.
OCEAN TWP., N.J. (WPVI) — A raging wildfire in Ocean County, New Jersey, consumed thousands of acres Tuesday night, forcing some residents to flee their homes.
Chopper 6 overhead as NJ wildfire grows to 3,200 acres on April 22, 2025.
What we know about the fire
The wildfire was reported Tuesday afternoon 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.
In an update just before 11 p.m., the New Jersey Forest Fire Service said the blaze grew to 8,500 acres with 10% containment.
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Chopper 6 was overhead 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.
Officials said approximately 1,320 structures are being threatened and that damage assessments were still underway in other areas.
A press conference on the fire is scheduled for Wednesday morning.
Chopper 6: Crews battling raging wildfire in Ocean County
Evacuations
According to the New Jersey Forest Fire Service, 3,000 residents have evacuated.
As of 1 a.m. Wednesday, the following evacuation notices remain in place:
In Ocean Township, officials say residents on Wells Mills Road from Bryant Road to the Garden State Parkway have been asked to leave the area.
The Lacey Township Police Department also issued an evacuation for residents in South Barnegat Pines south of Lakeside Drive South (including Pheasant Run), those near Beach Boulevard, the area from Route 9 to the Lacey Elks, all of the areas in between Route 9 and the Lacey Elks (Clune Park, Orlando Drive, Sandy Hook Dr., Clubhouse Drive, and all roads in between.
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.
In Barnegat Township, police say Pheasant Run Barnegat is under voluntary evacuation. A shelter has opened at Southern Regional High School, and pets are welcome.
“As the fire continues north, there is no immediate threat to Barnegat Township. However, we ask you to be prepared in case of a change in direction,” Barnegat police said on Facebook.
There is also a shelter open at the Manchester Township High School on Hawks Way in Manchester.
Power outages
Barnegat Township police say Jersey Central Power & Light de-energized all lines in and out of our Oyster Creek substation at the request of the Forest Fire Service.
Approximately 25,000 JCP&L customers are affected by this forced outage, JCP&L said in a statement.
“We will work to restore power to customers as we are safely able, including through tying areas to neighboring lines where safe and possible,” the statement continued.
There was no immediate word on when power was expected to return.
Closures on the Parkway
The southbound lanes of the Parkway have been reopened between interchanges 69 and 63, and the northbound Parkway has reopened between interchanges 74 and 80.
Other closures remain in place until further notice, including the following:
- Rt. 532 (Wells Mills Road) between Rt. 72 and the Garden State Parkway
- Bryant Road is closed between Wells Mills Road (Rt. 532) and Rt. 539
- Jones Road is closed between Rt. 532 and Bryant Road
- Garden State Parkway is closed between Barnegat Road and Lacey Road
- Closures on Rt. 9 from Lakeside Drive to Rt. 532 (both directions)
- Closures on secondary and tertiary roadways
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No injuries have been reported.
The cause of the fire is still under investigation.
The site of the fire is near an alpaca farm. The farm said in a Facebook post that the property wasn’t threatened and all of the animals were safe.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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According to the New Jersey Forest Fire Service, roughly 3,000 residents have been evacuated due to the raging flames.