New Jersey wildfire: Thousands of residents evacuated from homes as fire explodes in size in Ocean County - shelters open
Thousands of residents have been forced to flee their homes in New Jersey as a wildfire has exploded in size.
A raging wildfire in Ocean County, New Jersey, consumed thousands of acres Tuesday night, forcing some residents to flee their homes. The wildfire was reported Tuesday afternoon at the Greenwood Forest Wildlife Management Area in Barnegat Township. By the evening, the flames spread into both Ocean and Lacey townships in the county.
In an update just before 11 p.m., the New Jersey Forest Fire Service said the blaze grew to 8,500 acres with 10% containment. Officials said approximately 1,320 structures are being threatened and that damage assessments were still underway in other areas.
A press conference on the fire is scheduled for Wednesday morning. According to the New Jersey Forest Fire Service, 3,000 residents have evacuated.
In Ocean Township, officials say residents on Wells Mills Road from Bryant Road to the Garden State Parkway have been asked to leave the area. The Lacey Township Police Department also issued an evacuation for residents in South Barnegat Pines south of Lakeside Drive South (including Pheasant Run), those near Beach Boulevard, the area from Route 9 to the Lacey Elks, all of the areas in between Route 9 and the Lacey Elks (Clune Park, Orlando Drive, Sandy Hook Dr., Clubhouse Drive, and all roads in between.
In Barnegat Township, police say Pheasant Run Barnegat is under voluntary evacuation. A shelter has opened at Southern Regional High School, and pets are welcome. There is also a shelter open at the Manchester Township High School on Hawks Way in Manchester.
No injuries have been reported. The cause of the fire is still under investigation.