Barnegat, NJ – A rapidly spreading wildfire, dubbed the “Jones Wildfire,” erupted in Barnegat Township, Ocean County, on Tuesday, afternoon, consuming 1,200 acres in the Greenwood Forest Wildlife Management Area and prompting mandatory evacuations, road closures, and the shutdown of a significant portion of the Garden State Parkway. As of 5 p.m., the blaze remained 0% contained, threatening 16 structures and casting thick smoke across the Jersey Shore region, according to the New Jersey Forest Fire Service. The Garden State Parkway, a major artery along the Jersey Shore, is closed in both directions between Exit 63 in Stafford Township and Exit 80 in South Toms River, with additional closures at Exit 69 in Waretown.
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