New Jersey Forest Fire Sparks Evacuations and Shuts Down Key Highway

BARNEGAT TOWNSHIP, N.J.—A wildfire in New Jersey led to evacuations and the closure of a significant segment of a major highway on Tuesday.

The Garden State Parkway, one of New Jersey’s most frequented highways, was shut down between Barnegat and Lacey townships, according to The Press of Atlantic City.

Authorities reported that over 1,300 structures were at risk and most of Barnegat Township experienced power outages. A mandatory evacuation was issued for an unspecified number of buildings in Lacey Township, with shelters set up at a church and a high school.

The fire, located in the Greenwood Forest Wildlife Management Area, has consumed more than 4.6 square miles of land, as stated by fire officials.

According to the New Jersey Fire Service, the blaze, affecting Ocean and Lacey Townships in Ocean County, was only about 5 percent contained by Tuesday night, with the cause of the fire still under investigation.

No injuries have been reported at this time.

Debi Schaffer found herself in stalled traffic after evacuating with her two dogs while her husband remained behind with their 22 chickens.

“I wanted to take them in the car with me; can you imagine 22 chickens in a car?” she recounted to the newspaper.

According to her, the scene around her Waretown residence resembled “a war zone,” filled with smoke, sirens, and helicopter activity.

The fire is located near an alpaca farm, which stated in a Facebook message that the property was not under threat and that all animals were safe.

This wildfire marks the second significant forest fire in the area within less than a week.