Evacuation orders were issued in New Jersey and traffic on the Great Garden State promenade was diverted due to a forest fire that started on Tuesday and increased to 8,500 acres, officials said.
About 3,000 people were invited to evacuate the Jones Road fire area in Ocean County, the New Jersey forest fire.
The service announced on social networks shortly before 12:30 p.m. that the fire was burning in the Greenwood Forest Wildlife management area in the canton of Barnegat.
It was 10% contained Tuesday evening. The cause remains under study.
No deaths or injury has been reported, but State Forest Fire Service said 1,320 structures had been threatened. Damage assessments have been underway, he said.
The Garden State Parkway passes to the north and the south through the state. Traffic in the south was diverted to exit 80, and traffic in northern direction was diverted to exit 63, said police from the state of New Jersey.
NBC Philadelphia’s aerial video has shown that traffic is ramp in the region while drivers were trying to negotiate the closure and reach their destinations.
“Chaotic, traffic, cannot be nowhere, stuck in traffic for three hours,” Jake Willis said at the station.
The southern part of the County of Ocean and the State are under abnormally dry or drought conditions, according to the American drought instructor.
The New Jersey Forest Fire Service lists the region as a risk of “high” fire.
