Folks, it’s not every day you hear New Jersey and wildfire in the same sentence – at least not at this level. But the Garden State is grappling with a fast-moving inferno that officials say could go down as one of the worst wildfires in recent history. And trust me, this isn’t your average backyard brush burn.
We're talking about the Jones Road Wildfire, a blaze that exploded through more than 11,500 acres of the Greenwood Forest Wildlife Management Area in less than 24 hours. Let that sink in. That’s over 17 square miles of scorched earth, burning its way across Ocean County like a fire-breathing freight train.
🚨Mandatory evacuations are underway in a portion of Ocean Township, Ocean County New Jersey, due to a raging wildfire
Officials say residents on Wells Mills Road from Bryant Road to the Garden State Parkway are being asked to evacuate.
The fire has grown to 1,200 acres in size… pic.twitter.com/MWtb6uqYKt
— Wake Up NJ 🇺🇸 New Jersey (@wakeupnj) April 22, 2025
It all sparked up around 9:30 a.m. Tuesday, and by the time folks were pouring their second cup of coffee, this thing had already made its presence known. Officials threw everything they had at it, but as one firefighter put it, this blaze had a mind of its own. Unpredictable. Explosive. And relentless.
At one point, over 1,300 homes were directly threatened. And while, thankfully, no single-family homes were reported lost, one commercial business and several outbuildings weren’t so lucky. The mayor of Lacey Township, Peter Curatolo, broke the news on FOX Weather, calling it “heartbreaking” and detailing how a key business in their industrial park was completely wiped out.
More than 5,000 residents had to pack up and get out, some with nothing but the clothes on their backs. Curatolo spoke emotionally about getting seniors and people with medical needs out of a powerless shelter. No meds, no nurses, no cots — just quick thinking and neighborly cooperation from surrounding towns. A shining moment in the chaos.
🚨BREAKING: Evacuations are in progress after a major wildfire erupted in Ocean County, New Jersey.
Over 3,200 acres consumed.
pic.twitter.com/qr8kxTtuGK— Benny Johnson (@bennyjohnson) April 23, 2025
Meanwhile, the Garden State Parkway — a critical artery for Jersey commuters — had a 17-mile stretch shut down. Photos showed flames licking dangerously close to the highway. Over 25,000 people lost power as Jersey Central Power & Light shut things down preemptively. Officials are warning: this isn’t over. Power outages could linger, especially if downed lines or damaged transformers are discovered.
To make matters worse, drought conditions are creeping across New Jersey, with Ocean County clocking in somewhere between "abnormally dry" and "moderate drought." That’s like dousing the state in lighter fluid and tossing the match.
Fire officials say the blaze is only 30% contained, and it might keep burning into the weekend. The cause? Still under investigation. But one thing’s clear — whatever sparked this monster hit the wrong patch of pine forest at the worst possible time.