Firefighters in New Jersey made progress Wednesday containing a massive wildfire that broke out Tuesday and prompted the evacuations of 5,000 people, snarled traffic and sent huge plumes of black smoke billowing into the sky.
The Jones Road Wildfire had burned around 13,250 acres and was 50% contained by Wednesday evening, officials said.
No deaths or loss of homes have been reported, and the state's commissioner of environmental protection said firefighters helped avert what could have been "a major disaster."
The fire was reported at 9:45 a.m. Tuesday in the Greenwood Forest Wildlife Management area in Ocean County and exploded to 8,500 acres by 10:30 p.m. Tuesday, the New Jersey Forest Fire Service said.
The blaze was fueled by strong 25-mph gusts that whipped through the area. The acreage is expected to grow even as more progress is made in containment, officials said.
Power has been restored to the area, and residents have begun to return home, John Cecil, the assistant commissioner for state parks and forests, told reporters Wednesday afternoon.
"We had one commercial structure that was destroyed," Cecil said. "There were a couple of smaller cabins, it appears, that were impacted and some vehicles."
The cause of the fire remained under investigation. Long-term drought conditions, strong winds and warm weather contributed to its spread.
It's peak fire season for the area, said Trevor Raynor, a division forest fire warden.
"April 20 is right at peak — nice, clear sky today means low humidity, winds, warm temps," Raynor said. "It's all ripe for fire spread, so those small, seemingly small, fires can grow rapidly."
Acting New Jersey Gov. Tahesha Way declared a state of emergency effective at 7 a.m. Wednesday.
Shawn M. LaTourette, New Jersey’s commissioner of environmental protection, said Wednesday that "this could very well end up being the biggest wildfire in New Jersey in 20 years."
"Thanks to the incredible, heroic work of the good men and women of our New Jersey Forest Fire Service, folks' homes and lives have been saved and we’ve truly averted a major disaster," LaTourette said. "Now, this wildfire is not under full and complete control. We still have a lot of work to do to achieve complete containment of the wildfire."
He and fire officials said the fire is expected to burn for a couple of more days and spread in unpopulated areas.
The inferno had threatened 1,320 structures and prompted the evacuations of 5,000 residents from Ocean Township and Lacey Township in Ocean County, according to fire officials.
Ocean Township and Lacey Township police said all mandatory evacuation orders were lifted as of 6:30 a.m. Wednesday.
More than 25,000 customers were without electricity Wednesday morning after officials turned off power to keep fire crews safe.
Jersey Central Power and Light said crews got clearance Wednesday to assess any potential fire damage to equipment. After the equipment is cleared, lines will be re-energized. Power officials said Lacey Township should have power restored by Wednesday afternoon.
Ocean Township reported no structural damage, but Lacey Township did report some.
The New Jersey Forest Fire Service said Wednesday morning that a commercial building was destroyed and multiple outbuildings and vehicles were destroyed and that a complete damage assessment is underway.
The fire also triggered a major traffic slowdown Tuesday evening, with road closures along the Garden State Parkway. On Wednesday morning, New Jersey State Police announced that the Garden State Parkway and Route 9 near the fire zone were open again.
Harrowing videos and photos shared on social media showed orange flames consuming the forest area and thick orange and black smoke rising into the sky.
There were high fire danger conditions in central and southern New Jersey on Wednesday. However, there was some respite with cooler temperatures and lighter winds. Relative humidity was expected to be in the 20% to 40% range.
On Wednesday morning, the smoke was expected to affect areas across southern New Jersey, including Atlantic City. A 180-degree wind shift in the afternoon was expected to push smoke north toward the New York City metro area by Wednesday night. By Thursday morning, smoky skies were possible for New York City, parts of Long Island and north-central New Jersey.
