Update 4/23/25: The New Jersey Forest Fire Service said the Jones Road Wildfire spread to 11,500 acres and was 30% contained as of 11 a.m. Wednesday.
Firefighters are battling an 8,500-acre fire in the New Jersey Pinelands in Ocean County that has left thousands of people without power. It shut down major roadways and caused evacuations after it ignited Tuesday, but some roads have reopened and evacuation orders have been lifted.
The blaze, dubbed the Jones Road Wildfire, was only 10% contained as of Tuesday night, the New Jersey Forest Fire Service said. No injuries have been reported and the cause of the fire remains under investigation. As of Wednesday morning, 1,320 structures in Barnegat, Ocean and Lacey townships are under threat and 25,000 residents are without electricity.
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The wildfire broke out in the Greenwood Forest Fire Wildlife Management Area in Barnegat around 10 a.m. Tuesday, and officials said that 150 acres were burning as of 2 p.m. But it spread quickly, growing to 3,200 acres by 8 p.m. and then to 8,500 acres — its last reported size — as of 10:45 p.m.
Approximately 3,000 people were asked to leave their homes, but all evacuation orders have since been lifted. Lacey Township Police said resident could return to their homes as of 6:30 a.m., but said heavy smoke remains. Portions of the Garden State Parkways and Route were closed, but have since reopened.
The Forest Fire Service asked Jersey Central Power & Light to shut off power lines for the safety of firefighters, causing the power outages.
Local, county and state fire services are battling the blaze with bulldozers, fire engines, a helicopter that can drop 300 gallons of water and an air tanker that can drop 600 gallons of water, the Asbury Park Press reported.
April and May are peak wildfire season in New Jersey. In March, officials warned that conditions were ripe for forest fires because of the lack of rainfall. Last fall, most of the area was in a prolonged drought, and much of South Jersey is still considered either abnormally dry or in a moderate drought, according to the U.S. Drought Monitor. More than 1,200 acres of New Jersey forest burned in the first three months of 2025, which is a 266% increase over the same period last year.
