Rep. Chris Smith (R-NJ) today issued the following statement on the Jones Road Wildfire and the heroic response by firefighters:

“I want to express my deep and sincere gratitude to the expert men and women who have been working under extraordinary conditions to fight back against and contain the Jones Road Wildfire which has been raging in parts of my congressional district in Ocean County. 

Thankfully, no one has suffered life-threatening injuries—despite the fact that over 12,500 acres of forest have burned in what may turn out to be New Jersey’s largest forest fire in 20 years.

“It takes very special, courageous people to battle wildfires day and night to save complete strangers and entire communities.  As a long-time member of the Congressional Fire Services Caucus, I remain deeply impressed and forever grateful for the hard work and the sacrifices our firefighters made to protect all of us. 

There are public information resources available to track the fire and any remaining danger to air quality. Concerned residents can make use of these available resources to keep themselves and their families safe.

For more information, please see the resources below.

(1) Ocean County’s Public Health Advisory for the Jones Road Wildfire and information about health risks associated with smoke can be found here;

(2) The EPA’s AirNow mobile app includes a map showing the status of the fire and smoke.  The app can be downloaded here; and  

(3)  The New Jersey Forest Service plans to offer further updates on its Facebook page and X account.

Additionally, the Ocean County OEM and Red Cross have stated that N-95 masks for any residents who would like one due to poor air quality are available at the Barnegat Township Town Hall lobby at 900 West Bay Avenue, Barnegat, N.J. Additionally, the shelter at Southern Regional High School has been relocated to Saint Mary’s Parish Center at 100 Bishop Avenue, Manahawkin, N.J.