The forest fire in New Jersey explodes at 8,500 acres as residents evacuated and structures threatened

A forest fire in New Jersey has exploded at approximately 8,500 acres since it was first reported on Tuesday afternoon.

Jones Road’s forest fire is now burning at 8,500 acres and is currently below 10% containment on Wednesday morning, according to the New Jersey Forest Firefighters Service.

The fire is located south of Toms River along Garden State Parkway, stopping the traffic there while the fire managed to jump one of the busiest roads in New Jersey and is now burning in the municipalities of Ocean and Lacey in Ocean County.

According to the ABC News Philadelphia station, WPVI, more than a thousand structures are under threat and more than 3,000 residents have evacuated the area as evacuation notices remain instead.

A forced energy cut due to fires has also left at least 25,000 clients in the dark, although no injuries have been reported in the New Jersey states until Wednesday morning.

Wednesday’s forecast is expected to be windy during the morning with winds that break up to 20 mph from the north, but the winds should calm down this afternoon when high pressure begins to move towards the region with the next rainy opportunity for New Jersey from Friday night.