N.J. wildfire shuts major highway and forces thousands to evacuate
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Firefighters in Gloucester County, New Jersey, near a wildfire in the nearby Ocean County. Photo: Gloucester County Emergency Management/Facebook
A rapidly growing wildfire in the Pine Barrens area of southern New Jersey prompted evacuation orders for about 3,000 people and shut down parts of a major highway in the state for hours on Tuesday.
The big picture: The Jones Road Forest Fire was burning across some 8,500 acres at 10% containment just before 11pm ET, some nine hours after the New Jersey Forest Fire Service announced its ignition in dry, windy conditions near Barnegat Township in Ocean County.
Threat level: Residents in Ocean and Lacey townships were under evacuation orders, but there were no immediate reports of injuries.
- The fire was threatening around 1,320 structures, per a fire service post to X late Tuesday.
- The Garden State Parkway, which runs north and south through New Jersey, was shut for several hours between exits 63 and 80 and traffic was diverted elsewhere, officials said.
- More than 25,000 customers in Ocean County were without power early Wednesday, per utility tracker poweroutage.us.
Context: The wildfire ignited when fire risk was high in a region that U.S. Drought Monitor data shows is experiencing abnormally dry to severe drought.
- Research shows climate change is the main driver behind increased wildfire risk and it's increasing the odds and severity of droughts.
What we're watching: Temperatures cooled somewhat and winds were forecast to diminish overnight, the National Weather Service's Mount Holly, N.J., office said on X.
- "The theme of above normal temperatures will continue through the end of the week, with highs in the 70s to near 80 (60s for the coast)," it said. "Next chance of showers/storms arrives Friday night & Saturday."
Go deeper: Photographer seeks "complete picture" on wildfires, climate change
Editor's note: This article has been updated with new details throughout.
