OCEAN COUNTY, N.J. (PIX11) – Firefighters have now contained 50% of the wildfire that has burned more than 13,000 acres in Ocean County, New Jersey, officials said Wednesday evening.
The Jones Road Wildfire has burned 13,250 acres in Ocean County and was half contained as of 7 p.m., according to the New Jersey Forest Fire Service.
The wildfire started on Tuesday near Jones Road in the Greenwood Forest Wildlife Management Area in Barnegat Township, officials said. It then spread to Lacey Township and Ocean Township in Ocean County, where it continued to burn Wednesday night.
Firefighters continued to make progress in containing the wildfire throughout the day on Wednesday.
The fire had forced thousands of residents in the area to evacuate on Tuesday night. Many of them were able to return home on Wednesday.
Thousands of residents dealt with power outages as a result of the wildfire.
The wildfire also caused road closures in the area, including the Garden State Parkway and Route 9, but both highways have since reopened to travel in both directions.
The cause of the wildfire remains under investigation.
Finn Hoogensen is a digital journalist who has covered local news for more than six years. He has been with PIX11 News since 2022. See more of his work here.
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