Wildfire in New Jersey Pine Barrens expected to grow before it’s contained, officials say

By BRUCE SHIPKOWSKI CHATSWORTH N J AP A fast-moving wildfire engulfing part of New Jersey s Pine Barrens has not resulted in any injuries authorities announced though it s expected to grow before forecast rain later this week Related Articles Lawsuits accuse insurers of colluding to drop coverage in fire-prone parts of California Population soundness risks of urban wildfire smoke prompt push for more monitoring In fight over insurance neighbors crowdsource LA fire contamination input Circumstances disasters are on the rise These states want to make oil companies pay States wildfire plans at exposure amid budget woes and federal uncertainty The fire in southern New Jersey s Lacey and Ocean townships grew to roughly square miles and could continue to burn for days leaders disclosed during an update on Wednesday No one has been injured so far in the blaze and residents were evacuated but have been permitted to return home A single commercial building and specific vehicles were destroyed in the fire This is still a very working fire mentioned Department of Environmental Protection Commissioner Shawn LaTourette As we continue to get this under full control the expectation is that the number of acres will grow and will grow in a place that is unpopulated Leaders commented the fire is held to be the second-worst in the last two decades smaller only than a blaze that burned square miles The Garden State Parkway one of New Jersey s busiest highways also reopened Wednesday morning after representatives closed a roughly -mile stretch in the southern part of the state Acting Gov Tahesha Way declared a state of urgency early Wednesday as authorities reported they ve contained about of the wildfire Video published by the state agency overseeing the fire facility presented billowing white and black clouds of smoke intense flames engulfing pines and firefighters dousing a charred structure The cause of the fire is still under scrutiny bureaucrats declared Forest fires are a common occurrence in the Pine Barrens a million-acre state and federally protected reserve about the size of the Grand Canyon lying halfway between Philadelphia to the west and the Atlantic coast to the east The region with its quick-draining sandy soil is amid peak forest fire season The trees are still evolving leaves humidity remains low and winds can kick up drying out the forest floor Firefighters battle a house fire Wednesday April in Lacey Township N J AP Photo Matt Slocum Smoke rises from a wildfire early Wednesday April near Barnegat Township N J AP Photo Chris Szagola Firefighters battle a house fire Wednesday April in Lacey Township N J AP Photo Matt Slocum Smoke rises from a wildfire early Wednesday April near Barnegat Township N J AP Photo Chris Szagola A man walks past a house fire Wednesday April in Lacey Township N J AP Photo Matt Slocum Waretown Volunteer Fire Company firefighters prepare to respond to a wildfire on Tuesday April in Waretown N J AP Photo Chris Szagola People head into an evacuation shelter at Southern Regional High School from wildfires on Tuesday April near Stafford Township N J AP Photo Chris Szagola Firefighters respond to a wildfire on Tuesday April in Waretown N J AP Photo Chris Szagola A Waretown volunteer firefighter helps prepare a firetruck to respond to a wildfire on Tuesday April in Waretown N J AP Photo Chris Szagola Carmine of Waretown and his dog Amber sit outside an evacuation center at Southern Regional High School during wildfires on Tuesday April near Stafford Township N J AP Photo Chris Szagola Damage from a wildfire is seen Wednesday April in Lacey Township N J AP Photo Matt Slocum Damage from a wildfire is seen Wednesday April in Ocean Township N J AP Photo Matt Slocum In this image taken from aerial video shows smoke and flames from wildfires in Ocean County N J Wednesday April WPVI via AP In this image taken from aerial video shows smoke rising from wildfires in Ocean County N J Wednesday April WPVI via AP In this image taken from aerial video shows smoke and flames from wildfires in Ocean County N J Wednesday April WPVI via AP Show Caption of Firefighters battle a house fire Wednesday April in Lacey Township N J AP Photo Matt Slocum Expand It s a vast wilderness in the country s preponderance densely populated state LaTourette the DEP commissioner declared the fire is straddling an area on the edge of wilderness and residential areas It s the interface where the ecosystem and advance meet he mentioned The area had been under a severe drought until not long ago when early spring rains helped dampen the region but leaders cautioned fresh low humidity and a dry stretch have heightened the liability of fire The Jersey Central Power and Light Company cut power to about customers at the request of the Forest Fire Institution and the wildfire s command post Tuesday evening including thousands in Barnegat Township A spokesman for the company declared Wednesday that specific customers could have power restored later in the day This is for the safety of crews battling the fire the company wrote on X Debi Schaffer was caught in gridlocked traffic after evacuating with her two dogs while her husband agreed to stay with their chickens The Press of Atlantic City broadcasted I craved to take them in the car with me can you imagine chickens in a car she reported the newspaper Around her Waretown house it was like a war zone she disclosed describing smoke sirens and the buzz of helicopters The site of the fire is near an alpaca farm The farm reported in a Facebook post that the property wasn t threatened and all of the animals were safe The blaze is the second major forest fire in the region in less than a week Associated Press writer Mike Catalini in Trenton New Jersey contributed to this analysis