Officials: Jackson wildfire threatening homes is 40% contained

Over two dozen structures, mostly homes, are threaten and six families were told to evacuate according to the Forest Fire Service.

Lauren Due

Nov 7, 2024, 5:37 PM

Updated 9 min ago

Share:

The New Jersey Forest Fire Service says the Shotgun Wildfire in Jackson Township is 40% contained and has burned 300 acres.
Six structures are still threatened, and evacuations were lifted. The biggest issue now is the smoke.
"A long drought, a dry period here, so if you are susceptive to smoke or allergies it is what it is, unfortunately, there's going to continued to be smoke in the area," said Deale Carey with the New Jersey Forest Fire Service.
Stump Tavern Road remains closed. The wildfire is burning in the Colliers Mills Wildlife Management Area in Jackson Township, Ocean County.
"With the fall, we get a lot of leaf litter and needles that are falling down onto the fire, so we don't want the fire to ignite and reburn, so we don't want that to happen," said Carey.
The cause of the wildfire is under investigation.
All of New Jersey is under the highest level of fire restrictions.
Since the beginning of the year, the Forest Fire Service responded to 1,189 fires burning 7,900 acres statewide. In October, the service responded to 507 incidents. Since Nov. 1, the service has been to 102 fires burning 479 acres.