Firefighters in New Jersey Making Progress in Containing Wildfire

The New Jersey firefighters have contained 50% of the 'Jones Road' fire, which continues to burn in the central region of the state. The New Jersey Forest Fire Service has confirmed that the firefighters have brought the fire, which has become the largest in this state in almost 20 years, under control and that the fire, which has spread over 13,250 hectares of the Pine Barrens, is under control. According to New Jersey authorities, no one has been injured so far, and the evacuation orders for the 5,000 residents who have left their homes in the Ocean and Lacey communities have been lifted. 'The fire is still very active. As we contain the fire, it is expected that the area will continue to grow, and this is in a place that is not inhabited,' said Shawn LaTourette, Commissioner of the Department of Environmental Protection. According to the head of the New Jersey Forest Fire Service, Bill Donnelly, the fire is expected to continue burning until the weekend when rain is forecast. Officially, it is said that the fire no longer threatens inhabited areas, but the predicted rain is necessary to extinguish the fire. The fire near the state's coast led to extensive road closures, including parts of the Garden State Parkway and Route 9, which have since reopened. The fire, which experienced 'accelerated growth,' was declared a state of emergency in southern Ocean County, leaving many residents without power. The cause of the fire, which started in the Greenwood Forest Wildlife Management Area in Barnegat Township, is still under investigation.