A rapidly expanding wildfire in Ocean County’s Greenwood Forest Wildlife Management Area has forced mandatory evacuations and closed critical highways, including a 17-mile stretch of the Garden State Parkway. The Jones Road Fire, which ignited near Barnegat Township on Tuesday, ballooned from,20 acres to,20 acres by evening, threatening,32 structures and prompting urgent evacuations along Wells Mills Road and Route.
Authorities ordered mandatory evacuations for residents near Bryant Road and Wells Mills Road, with Southern Regional High School serving as a shelter. The blaze has shut down Route, Bryant Road, Jones Road, and part of Route, while smoke and ash spread across Toms River and Seaside Heights. Over,00 homes lost power as Jersey Central Power & Light cut electricity near the fire zone.
The New Jersey Forest Fire Service deployed helicopters, air tankers, and ground crews to combat flames amid dry, windy conditions. A separate wildfire in Vineland’s Peaslee Wildlife Management Area, dubbed “Danny’s Wildfire,” remains 75% contained after burning square miles.
No injuries have been reported, but officials warn of persistent smoky conditions as drought worsens in Ocean County.
