New Jersey Declares Emergency As Wildfire Consumes 11,500 Acres
The Acting Governor of New Jersey declared a state of emergency on Wednesday as a massive wildfire in Ocean County rapidly expanded to 11,500 acres.
The wildfire has threatened thousands of homes, disrupted traffic, and forced families to evacuate, reports ABC.
Known as the Jones Road Wildfire, it began on Tuesday and quickly escalated despite an aggressive response to contain it. By Wednesday morning, the fire was only 30 per cent contained, officials announced during a press conference.
New Jersey Commissioner of Environmental Protection, Shawn LaTourette, warned that the fire could become the largest in the state in two decades.
“Thanks to the heroic efforts of our New Jersey fire service, many homes and lives have been spared. We’ve truly averted a major disaster,” LaTourette said.
According to him, no injuries have been reported.
Trevor Raynor of the New Jersey Forest Fire Service said the fire was first spotted from the Cedar Bridge Fire Tower near Barnegat.
Raynor described the force of the fire, stating that “Even with a big show of force, it grew to be a large wildfire,” Raynor said.
New Jersey’s Lieutenant Governor Tahesha Way, currently serving as acting governor while Governor Phil Murphy is overseas, declared a state of emergency to enable the state to prepare and commit more resources to battling the fire.
Thousands of people were ordered to evacuate, and more than 1,000 structures were under threat at one point. Around 25,000 customers were without power due to the blaze.
Kelly Mendoza, one of the residents, described the scene to ABC news, stating, “Smoke and everything was right in my backyard. Everything was covered in black ashes.”
Another resident, Michael Ferrara, recounted the terrifying decision to leave his home.
“You think, what do you take—birth certificates, passports? It’s a frightening feeling,” he said.
Officials are hopeful that the fire could be fully contained this weekend. About 100 firefighters continue to battle the flames both on the ground and from the air.
Weather conditions offered some relief on Wednesday, with the morning wind calming down in the afternoon.
The rains are forecast to fall by Friday night, which could help efforts to contain the fires.
Chief Bill Donnelly of the Forest Fire Service said that New Jersey has already seen 662 fires burning 16,572 acres so far in 2025, compared to 310 fires burning 315 acres at this time in 2024, which is more than double the number.
New Jersey Declares Emergency As Wildfire Consumes 11,500 Acres is first published on The Whistler Newspaper