Jones Road Wildfire in New Jersey explodes in size, burning over 3 400 ha (8 500 acres)

The Jones Road Wildfire broke out in Ocean County, New Jersey, on April 22, 2025. By 22:30 local time (LT) on the same day, the fire had burned through 3 440 ha (8 500 acres) and was 10 % contained. More than 3 000 people were forced to evacuate.

The fire is threatening more than 1 300 structures and has forced the closure of major routes in the area. The Garden State Parkway, one of the busiest highways in New Jersey, was closed between Barnegat and Lacey townships. Several other routes have also been closed.

The Jersey Central Power and Light Company cut electricity to approximately 25 000 customers on Tuesday evening at the request of the Forest Fire Service and the wildfire’s command post. This included thousands of residents in Barnegat Township.

“Approximately 25 000 JCP&L customers are affected by this forced outage, and we do not anticipate restoring power tonight. We will work to restore power to customers as we are safely able, including through tying areas to neighboring lines where safe and possible,” the company stated on social media.

No fatalities or injuries have been reported, but multiple homes and businesses have sustained damage. The cause of the fire remains under investigation.

Evacuated residents sought shelter at two high schools. The evacuation order was lifted at 06:30 LT on Wednesday. However, widespread power outages remain as firefighters continue efforts to contain the blaze.

Multiple fire engines, a bulldozer, and ground crews from several agencies are working to contain the fire. Authorities have requested that residents refrain from flying drones in the area, as they may interfere with firefighting operations.

The wildfire comes after an official drought warning was issued in New Jersey, active due to below-average precipitation during the winter, according to a news release from March.

Typically, the period from mid-March to mid-May is considered the peak wildfire season in New Jersey. During this period, trees and underbrush are still leafing out, relative humidity is usually low, and windy conditions are common.

These conditions cause forested areas to dry out rapidly, especially in the Pinelands of southern New Jersey. The region’s sandy, porous soil does not retain moisture well, increasing the likelihood of a fire starting just hours after rainfall.

Since the onset of the state’s abnormally dry period in September 2024, the Forest Fire Service has reported a significant increase in wildfires. The fall of 2024 was one of the busiest wildfire seasons on record, with 798 wildfires burning 1 962 ha (4 847 acres).

Between January and March 2025, the Forest Fire Service responded to 381 wildfires across the state, which burned a total of 503 ha (1 242 acres). This represents a 266% increase compared to the same period in 2024. Three of these wildfires were classified as “major,” each burning more than 40.5 ha (100 acres).

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