Wildfire Grows To 50 Acres In Northern Ocean; I-195 Exit Remains Closed

Updated, 11:30 p.m.

OCEAN COUNTY, NJ — A wildfire in Jackson Township had grown to 50 acres Tuesday evening and was continuing to threaten homes and forcing road closures, the New Jersey Forest Fire Service said.

The fire was still zero percent contained as of 9:40 p.m., forest fire service officials said. It was reported about 2:20 p.m. and was in an inaccessible area off East Commodore Boulevard, Cedar Swamp Road and Jackson Mills Road, they said.

Forest Fire Service crews were setting backfires to protect homes and were expecting to continue that work during the night in an effort to contain the fire within the three roads, which form a triangle.

Interstate 195, which had been closed in both directions, was reopened with the exception of Exit 21, which remained closed due to the Cedar Swamp Road closure.

There were 30 structures that were threatened, and local fire companies were continuing to protect those homes, officials said, but there were no mandatory evacuations.

There had been a second fire burning in Manchester as of about 7:30 p.m., and Manchester police were telling drivers to avoid the area of Beckerville west, but there was no additional information available on that fire Tuesday night.

The Ocean County Sheriff's Office said smoke from the fires was drifting east across the county and being smelled in other towns, including Toms River, Brick, and Berkeley townships.