Pinelands Wildfire Threatens to Become New Jersey's Largest in Decades

A rapidly spreading wildfire ignited in New Jersey's Pinelands region on Wednesday, near the coastal towns along the Atlantic Ocean. Authorities expressed concern that it could become the most extensive wildfire in the state in almost two decades.

By Wednesday evening, the Jones Road Wildfire had expanded to encompass 13,250 acres. Containment efforts had reached 50 percent. While the fire was no longer directly threatening populated areas, officials emphasized the need for significant rainfall to fully extinguish the blaze. The cause of the fire is currently under investigation.

State officials, including Commissioner of Environmental Protection Shawn LaTourette, noted the potential for this fire to surpass the size of a 2007 wildfire in the same area, which consumed 68.8 square kilometers. Embers from the current fire also triggered smaller fires near the decommissioned Oyster Creek nuclear power plant in Waretown.

Due to the severity of the situation, Lieutenant Governor Tahesha Way declared a state of emergency, effective from 7 am on Wednesday. She was acting in place of Governor Phil Murphy, who was on an international trip. Way reported that, as of Wednesday morning, there had been no loss of life and no homes had been damaged.