Trenton: A fast-moving wildfire in New Jersey’s Pinelands has been threatening the state’s coast near popular Atlantic Ocean beach towns, with officials warning it could become the largest fire in New Jersey in nearly two decades.
The Jones Road Wildfire had scorched 13,250 acres (54 square kilometers) by Wednesday night and was about 50% contained, according to the New Jersey Forest Fire Service. Although the fire no longer posed a direct threat to populated areas, officials stressed that only “soaking rainfall” could fully extinguish the blaze. Investigations into the cause of the fire are ongoing.
A massive wildfire burning in New Jersey's Pinelands is on track to become one of the worst in state history. The fire, no longer threatening populated areas, is expected to continue to burn for several days until rain comes https://t.co/SjXxikOoik pic.twitter.com/JeI0svm5zv
— Reuters (@Reuters) April 24, 2025
State officials have expressed concerns that this fire could surpass the size of the 2007 wildfire in the same region, which burned 17,000 acres. Shawn LaTourette, the New Jersey Commissioner of Environmental Protection, confirmed the blaze’s potential to be the largest in nearly two decades during a press conference.
In addition to the primary fire, embers sparked smaller blazes near the decommissioned Oyster Creek nuclear power plant in Waretown, New Jersey. The facility, which shut down in 2018 and is owned by Holtec International, was not at risk.
Lieutenant Governor Tahesha Way, stepping in for Governor Phil Murphy while he is overseas, declared a state of emergency at 7 a.m. on Wednesday. “At this time, we have no loss of life and no homes have been harmed,” she said in a social media post on Wednesday morning.
So far, 2025 has seen an alarming surge in wildfires across the state, with nearly twice as many fires recorded compared to the same period in 2024. By the end of April, 662 wildfires had burned more than 16,500 acres, compared to 310 wildfires that burned 315 acres in the same timeframe last year. Bill Donnelly, chief of the Forest Fire Service, noted the rise in activity at the press conference, emphasizing that wildfires typically damage or destroy about 7,000 acres of forests annually.
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The fire ignited Tuesday in the Greenwood Forest Wildlife Management Area, located near Lacey, Ocean, and Barnegat townships in Ocean County. The area, situated about 15 miles inland from the Atlantic Ocean, saw significant impacts on nearby communities. Around 1,300 homes were initially in danger, with 3,000 to 5,000 people placed under evacuation orders, both mandatory and voluntary. These evacuation orders were lifted by Wednesday morning. Additionally, a 17-mile stretch of the Garden State Parkway, a major north-south highway, was closed temporarily but reopened on Wednesday.
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Firefighters have been battling the blaze for nearly 24 hours straight, with hundreds of responders working around the clock. Officials are hopeful that the fire will be fully controlled by this weekend, provided the area receives the anticipated heavy rain.
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