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The Jones Road Wildfire was reported on Tuesday, April 22 at approximately 1,200 acres. As of Wednesday evening, April 23, it had grown in size nearly 10-fold, and was about 40% contained.
Lt. Governor Tahesha Way declared a state of emergency in Ocean County to support local firefighting and recovery efforts Wednesday morning.
Roughly 5,000 residents in Lacey and Ocean townships were evacuated, but those orders have since been lifted, officials said.
The blaze has destroyed one commercial building, along with multiple outbuildings and vehicles, the Forest Fire Service reported. A full damage assessment is still underway.
Eighteen structures remain threatened, and road closures are still in effect, according to the NJ Forest Fire Service.
- ⚠️ 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 and Route 9 are REOPENED in both travel directions
Crews from the Forest Fire Service, along with local fire departments, rescue teams, and other agencies, are using fire engines, bulldozers, aircraft, and ground support to fight the fire.
Power has been restored to the nearly 25,000 JCP&L customers that were in the dark for more than 12 hours in Lacey, Barnegat, Ocean Township, and Berkeley Township.
The cause of the fire is under investigation.
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