New Jersey firefighters reported Wednesday night that the Jones Road wildfire in Ocean County has been 50% contained after burning 13,250 acres.
About 12 structures are currently under threat, down from 20 on Wednesday, according to the New Jersey Forest Fire Service. One commercial building has been destroyed and several outbuildings and vehicles have been damaged.
Evacuation orders were lifted on Wednesday, when the fire service reported that about 11,500 acres had burned and the wildfire was 30% contained.
No injuries have been reported.
The Jones Road wildfire began Tuesday in the Pine Barrens area in Barnegat township and then moved north into Lacey.
Forest Fire Service firefighters and local fire, rescue, county and other state responders are battling the blaze.
The cause of the blaze is under investigation.
The ratings and analytics firm Moody’s has been monitoring the wildfire in the Garden State. Firas Saleh, director of wildfire models, North America, at Moody’s, said it is one of the largest wildfires in the state’s recent history. “This event underscores that wildfire risk is not confined to western states alone. It highlights community vulnerability to such events and the importance of resilience.” Saleh commented\.
According to the Moody’s executive, the Jones Road wildfire is a “stark reminder” of the growing frequency and intensity of wildfires due to factors such as prolonged drought conditions, higher temperatures, and low humidity.
Saleh noted that last year at this time, the fire service reported there were 310 wildfires that burned 315 acres across New Jersey. This year so far, 662 wildfires have burned 16,572 acres across the state.
Topics
Catastrophe
Natural Disasters
Wildfire
New Jersey
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