Mass evacuations as New Jersey wildfire burns across 8,500 acres

A fast-moving wildfire in New Jersey has forced the evacuation of thousands of residents and led to the closure of a major highway. 

The Garden State Parkway—one of the busiest highways in the region—was shut down on Tuesday, according to official sources.

Reports indicate that more than 1,300 structures were under threat, and approximately 3,000 residents were evacuated. Emergency shelters were opened at two high schools to accommodate displaced residents.

As of 10:30 pm (local time), the Jones Road Wildfire was raging across Ocean County and was only 10% contained, according to the New Jersey Forest Fire Service on X (formerly Twitter). The blaze had expanded rapidly to 8,500 acres, up from an earlier report of 3,200 acres.

The cause of the fire remains under investigation. Firefighting efforts have been extensive, involving multiple agencies, ground crews, engines, and bulldozers deployed to contain the flames.

Power outages also affected approximately 25,000 customers, Jersey Central Power & Light reported on X.