Yo! A super fast wildfire was raging in the Pine Barrens of New Jersey, but officials decided to end the evacuation orders and open a part of a major highway that was shut down because of the blaze. More than 1,300 structures were in danger, and approximately 3,000 residents were asked to leave their homes, according to the New Jersey Forest Fire Service. Not sure why this matters, but officials said Wednesday morning that evacuation orders were no longer in effect. Shelters were set up at two high schools, as per the Barnegat Police Department.
The Garden State Parkway, a super busy highway in New Jersey, opened up on Wednesday morning after a 7-mile section was closed down in the southern part of the state. The fire in Ocean and Lacey Townships, which they’re calling the Jones Road Fire, had spread across about 13 square miles and caused a few power outages.
According to the JCP&L, around 25,000 customers were still without power as they checked for any damage to their equipment due to the Jones Road wildfire. A news conference was scheduled for later in the morning to provide an update on the situation.
The Pine Barrens sees forest fires often, with the current one burning about 13 square miles in Ocean and Lacey Townships in Ocean County. The fire was only 10% contained on Tuesday night, and the cause of the fire was being looked into.
Debi Schaffer got stuck in traffic after evacuating with her two dogs, while her husband stayed back with their 22 chickens. She told The Press of Atlantic City, “I wanted to take them in the car with me; can you imagine 22 chickens in a car?” The scene around her Waretown house was compared to a war zone, with smoke, sirens, and helicopters buzzing around. The alpaca farm nearby assured in a Facebook post that the property and all the animals were safe.
This wildfire is the second major forest fire in the area in less than a week.
