Massive Wildfire Rages in New Jersey, Threatening Scores of Homes Along the Shore

This incident couldn’t have come at a worse time. Around 80 percent of New Jersey is experiencing drought conditions, and a massive wildfire is breaking out in the southern part of the state.  The blaze shut a large swath of the Garden State Parkway, with evacuations being ordered as around 25,000 are now without power. How the fire started is under investigation (via Star-Ledger):

A forest fire that broke out in a residential area of Barnegat on Tuesday afternoon has now spread to more than 3,200 acres and has closed a portion of the Garden State Parkway, officials said. 

The blaze is burning in the Greenwood Forest Wildlife Management Area in Barnegat, the New Jersey Forest Fire Service said in a statement. Many single family homes are surrounded by the large forest in the Jersey Shore neighborhood. 

The fire, which was 5 percent contained as of 8 p.m., is currently threatening 1,320 structures and has forced the evacuation of 3,000 residents in numerous towns in the vicinity of the fire, officials said. 

[…] 

The Barnegat Police Department announced voluntary evacuations in the neighborhoods of Windward, Mirage, Pheasant Run, Heritage Point North, Brookville and all houses on West Bay Avenue. 

[…] 

According to Lacey Township police, the fire crossed over Route 9 in Forked River which has led to mandatory evacuations in town. 

A mandatory evacuation was issued for for the Pheasant Run Community and the southern section of the Barnegat Pines south of Lakeside Drive South near the northbound lanes of the Garden State Parkway. Evacuations were also issued in town for Beach Boulevard and the surrounding areas of Clune Park including South River Drive, Sandy Hook Drive and Orlando Drive. 

[…]

In the nearby Stafford Township, all parkway entrances and exits were shut but as of 7 p.m., there were no voluntary or mandatory evacuations in town, police said. 

The Ocean Township Police Department said on its Facebook page that the Garden State Parkway Southbound is open for evacuation traffic at exit 69. 

There were over 25,000 power outages reported in Barnegat, Lacey and Berkeley, with nearly 1,400 in Barnegat alone, according to JCP&L. 

Pray for the first responders and those fleeing this blaze.

This incident couldn’t have come at a worse time. Around 80 percent of New Jersey is experiencing drought conditions, and a massive wildfire is breaking out in the southern part of the state.  The blaze shut a large swath of the Garden State Parkway, with evacuations being ordered as around 25,000 are now without power. How the fire started is under investigation (via Star-Ledger):

A forest fire that broke out in a residential area of Barnegat on Tuesday afternoon has now spread to more than 3,200 acres and has closed a portion of the Garden State Parkway, officials said. 

The blaze is burning in the Greenwood Forest Wildlife Management Area in Barnegat, the New Jersey Forest Fire Service said in a statement. Many single family homes are surrounded by the large forest in the Jersey Shore neighborhood. 

The fire, which was 5 percent contained as of 8 p.m., is currently threatening 1,320 structures and has forced the evacuation of 3,000 residents in numerous towns in the vicinity of the fire, officials said. 

[…] 

The Barnegat Police Department announced voluntary evacuations in the neighborhoods of Windward, Mirage, Pheasant Run, Heritage Point North, Brookville and all houses on West Bay Avenue. 

[…] 

According to Lacey Township police, the fire crossed over Route 9 in Forked River which has led to mandatory evacuations in town. 

A mandatory evacuation was issued for for the Pheasant Run Community and the southern section of the Barnegat Pines south of Lakeside Drive South near the northbound lanes of the Garden State Parkway. Evacuations were also issued in town for Beach Boulevard and the surrounding areas of Clune Park including South River Drive, Sandy Hook Drive and Orlando Drive. 

[…]

In the nearby Stafford Township, all parkway entrances and exits were shut but as of 7 p.m., there were no voluntary or mandatory evacuations in town, police said. 

The Ocean Township Police Department said on its Facebook page that the Garden State Parkway Southbound is open for evacuation traffic at exit 69. 

There were over 25,000 power outages reported in Barnegat, Lacey and Berkeley, with nearly 1,400 in Barnegat alone, according to JCP&L. 

Pray for the first responders and those fleeing this blaze.