Wildfire in Central New Jersey Forces Evacuations

Firefighters in central New Jersey were scrambling early Wednesday to contain a quick-moving wildfire that prompted a wave of evacuations and road closures overnight.

The blaze, called the Jimmy’s Waterhole fire, had burned 2,500 acres of federal, state and private property in Manchester Township, in Ocean County, about 50 miles east of Philadelphia, the New Jersey Forest Fire Service said early Wednesday.

Manchester Township has a population of about 45,000, according to the latest census data.

Officials said 170 structures had been evacuated and 75 others were threatened by early Wednesday, when the fire was about 10 percent contained. The authorities also closed portions of Route 539 and Route 70, which runs from Philadelphia east toward the coast.

The Forest Fire Service first alerted the public about the blaze on Tuesday night. Within hours officials had reported 500 acres had been burned and that crews had begun a backfiring operation to help contain it. By early Wednesday, the fire had grown to 2,500 acres.

It was unclear what started the fire and if it threatens other communities in the area. Schools in Manchester Township School District are closed this week for spring break.

The Forest Fire Service did not immediately return requests for comment early Wednesday.

April marks peak wildfire season in New Jersey. About 7,000 acres of the state’s forests are damaged or destroyed each year by an average of 1,500 wildfires.

Currently, most of central and southern New Jersey is under a high risk for fires, while counties in the northern section of the state are under a very high risk, officials said.

Last June, the Mullica River fire in Wharton State Forest in South Jersey burned nearly 15,000 acres, becoming the state’s largest wildfire since 2007. Officials ruled out natural cause for the fire, such as lightning, and said that an illegal campfire had been found near its origin.

In the Western United States, wildfires are increasing in size and intensity, and wildfire seasons are growing longer. Recent research has suggested that heat and dryness associated with global warming are major reasons for the increase.

From January through March, there have been more than 7,700 wildfires across the United States, burning more than 123,000 acres, according to the National Interagency Fire Center. That’s below the 10-year average of about 9,800 wildfires and nearly 487,000 acres burned.