2,500 Acres Burning In Manchester Wildfire, Hundreds Evacuated

Updated, 2 a.m. April 12

MANCHESTER, NJ —About 170 homes were evacuated late Tuesday night as a wildfire ripped through 2,500 acres of forest in Manchester, the New Jersey Forest Fire Service said.

As of early Wednesday morning, the fire was still only 10 percent contained, the forest fire service said.

Evacuations were ordered in Lakehurst for all residents north of Route 70. In Manchester, residents along Beckerville Road and on Horicon Road, Horicon Drive and Horicon Avenue in Whiting were told to leave about 11:45 p.m. Tuesday.

Evacuees were sent to Manchester Township High School on South Colonial Drive, where the American Red Cross, Manchester Township EMS, the Manchester Township Police Department and the Ocean County Sheriff's Department were providing assistance.

The forest fire service and firefighting crews from Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst were fighting the main body of the fire, and fire companies from all over Ocean County sent crews to assist.

Much of the work by the local fire companies was focused on protecting homes in the fire's path, the forest fire service said. There were 75 structures threatened by the fire early Wednesday, the service said.

The fire has led to several road closures:

• Route 70 is closed from the Lakehurst Circle to Beckerville West Road.
• Route 539 is closed from Route 70 in Manchester to Long Swamp Road in Plumsted Township.
• Horicon Avenue is closed, and Beckerville East Road and Beckerville West Road are closed, as of 2 a.m.

The fire involves property on Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst, along with state and private property in Manchester, in an area referred to as Jimmy's Waterhole, the New Jersey Forest Fire Service said.

Smoke from the fire was visible from the Garden State Parkway at sunset Tuesday night and was drifting east across Berkeley Township, South Toms River, Beachwood and toward Toms River.

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