In Chatsworth, New Jersey, a wildfire is rapidly spreading through part of the Pine Barrens area. Thankfully, officials confirmed that there have been no injuries. However, the fire is anticipated to expand further before potential rainfall arrives later this week.
Authorities provided an update, stating that the fire, affecting Lacey and Ocean townships in southern New Jersey, has already consumed approximately 18 square miles (47 square kilometers) and shows no signs of slowing down. Although no injuries have been reported thus far, 5,000 residents were evacuated as a precaution, and they have now been allowed to return home. Unfortunately, a solitary commercial building and several vehicles fell victim to the flames.
“This wildfire remains highly active,” emphasized Shawn LaTourette, the Commissioner of the Department of Environmental Protection. He added, “While we work towards complete containment, we expect the affected area to expand, but fortunately into unpopulated regions.”
Meteorologist Brittany Bell talks about the fire risk to our area.
The Garden State Parkway, one of New Jersey’s busiest highways, also reopened Wednesday morning after officials closed a roughly 7-mile (12-kilometer) stretch in the southern part of the state.
Acting Gov. Tahesha Way declared a state of emergency early Wednesday as officials said they’ve contained about 30% of the wildfire.
Video released by the state agency overseeing the fire service showed 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 investigation, authorities said.
Chopper 6 overhead as NJ wildfire grows to 3,200 acres on April 22, 2025.
Forest fires are a common occurrence in the Pine Barrens, a 1.1 million-acre (445,000-hectare) 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 developing leaves, humidity remains low and winds can kick up, drying out the forest floor.
It’s a vast wilderness in the country’s most densely populated state. LaTourette, the DEP commissioner, said the fire is straddling an area on the edge of wilderness and residential areas.
“It’s the interface where the environment and development meet,” he said.
The area had been under a severe drought until recently, when early spring rains helped dampen the region, but officials cautioned recent low humidity and a dry stretch have heightened the risk of fire.
The Jersey Central Power and Light Company cut power to about 25,000 customers at the request of the Forest Fire Service and the wildfire’s command post Tuesday evening, including thousands in Barnegat Township. A spokesman for the company said Wednesday that some 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 22 chickens, The Press of Atlantic City reported.
“I wanted to take them in the car with me; can you imagine 22 chickens in a car?” she told the newspaper.
Around her Waretown house it was “like a war zone,” she said, describing smoke, sirens and the buzz of helicopters.
The site of the fire is near an alpaca farm. The farm said 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.
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Associated Press writer Mike Catalini in Trenton, New Jersey, contributed to this report.
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