By 10.30pm that night, the fire had consumed 8,500 acres, according to the New Jersey Forest Fire Service. Once the fire began, 25 mph winds fueled its growth and spread it around the region.

The Jones Road Wildfire is about 50% contained. A wildfire in New Jersey exploded to 13,250 acres after igniting Tuesday in Ocean County and threatening more than 1,000 structures, shutting down a ...