Wildfire in Ocean County could become 'largest in New Jersey in 20 years,' officials say

BARNEGAT TWP., N.J. - Firefighters continue to battle a massive and fast-moving wildfire that forced thousands of evacuations in Barnegat Township Tuesday night, and could soon become the largest wildfire in New Jersey in the last couple of decades.

What we know:

The New Jersey Forest Service responded to reports of a brush fire in the area of Jones Road in the Greenwood Forest WMA on Tuesday.

It began as a 10-acre fire, but has since grown to 13,250 acres with 50 percent containment by 7:30 p.m. Wednesday, and is expected to spread further before being fully contained. 

"This could be the largest wildfire in New Jersey in 20 years," fire officials said during a press conference on Wednesday.

The massive fire threatened over 1,300 structures and forced at least 5,000 area residents to evacuate.

Officials say a "major diaster" was averted thanks to the action of local firefighters, but they still have a lot of work to do to achieve full containment.

One commercial structure was destroyed, while some smaller buildings, cabins and vehicles have been impacted.

Officials brief the public:

April 20th marks peak spring fire season in New Jersey.

Trevor Warden, Division Forest Fire Warden, explained, "Coupled with the drought, with the low humidity, winds, nice, sunny weather – it just made for a difficult firefight. That initial box failed, we went into bigger more substantial roads. That failed, we eventually went to the Garden State Parkway. We were out of our reach there, we eventually burned to Route 9 and became the fire that we see it is today."

N.J. Forest Fire Service Chief Donnelly explained the environment’s role this way, "You guys have to remember, New Jersey has some of the most volatile wildland fuels in the entire country. Everybody’s used to seeing California and things like that, that chaparral that burns up them hills and goes crazy. Well, these Pine Barrens out here are the exact same type of fuel model. They are just like having napalm spread across the ground. You know, under the right conditions, when the humidity is low, fires become wind-driven. It’s just – you can see, you can have catastrophic fires as a result of those conditions."

State of emergency

Acting Gov. Tahesha Way declared a state of emergency on Wednesday in response to the massive wildfire. It went into effect at 7 a.m.

Road closures

The roads impacted include:

• Rt. 532 (Wells Mills Road) between Rt. 72 and the Garden State Parkway
• Bryant Road is closed between Wells Mills Road (Rt. 532) and Rt. 539.
• Jones Road is closed between Rt. 532 and Bryant Road.

The Garden State Parkway and Route 9 restrictions were lifted at 5:30 a.m. Wednesday. North and south lanes are now open to traffic.

All other closures have been reopened.

Evacuations

All mandatory evacuations were lifted around 6:30 a.m. Wednesday.

Ocean Township police say all residents can now return to their homes after thousands were forced to evacuate Tuesday night.

Power outage

JCPL is working to restore power, with some power outages still ongoing. Wednesday afternoon saw up to 4,500 customers without power.

What they're saying:

"Pretty much everyone's been outside and I guess enjoying the weather and sunlight while we can," said Bethany Smith. 

She was keeping her son busy outside, staying home and off the roads because of all the traffic.

 Joe Campagna stood outside watching the sky in his neighborhood.

"There's a lot of smoke in the air. You can definitely smell it. There is a lot of ash falling out of the sky," he said.

Campagna is also concerned for the alpaca farm where he works.

"I had actually went down the road to the Home Depot in Lacey Township and by the time I was leaving there and heading back, it had grown a lot. They're right alongside the fire right now. They've got over 50, 60 animals there. Right now they are ok but there is still a lot of danger," he said.

Campagna says he has lived here for 20 years. 

"This is the first one that's ever been pretty close to home," he said.

Homeowner Samantha Palermo was forced to evacuate the home she shares with her husband, three children and 2 dogs, describing her feelings this way, "The slightest bit of wind change would’ve affected our entire life. The thought of having to rebuild and be displaced like that was really terrifying  It was really just surreal, it was surreal."

She said she is grateful for the dozens of first responders from across the region working together.

One commercial structure was destroyed in the fire, a business called Liberty Door & Awning, owned by Bob Nosti. He explained the night of the fire this way, "I can’t even comprehend it, to tell you the truth. It is more than surreal."

He is grateful no lives were lost and added, philosophically, "We’re insured, we can rebuild, it’s just going to take some time and I’m sure we’ll have some pretty patient customers."

What we don't know:

Officials believe the point of origin was somewhere in the Greenwood Forest Wildlife Management Area, but a cause has not been determined.

What's next:

Approximately 100 firefighters are now working the fire lines, hoping to knock back smoke from the fire, get people back into their homes, reduce traffic and revitalize power lines as soon as possible.

What you can do:

For information on the drought conditions in New Jersey, visit the official Drought Monitor website here.

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