A forest wildfire in Ocean County just miles from the Shore had ballooned to at least 13,250 acres, but its growth had slowed Wednesday evening, according to state officials. The fire could become New Jersey’s largest in 20 years,

Thousands of New Jersey residents have been evacuated as the Jones Road Wildfire along the East Coast grows to 12,000 acres, authorities said. It was 35% contained by Wednesday afternoon.

A wildfire in Ocean County, New Jersey is burning across thousands of acres, forcing mandatory evacuations overnight in Ocean and Lacey townships. As of 6:30 a.m. Wednesday, the Ocean Township Police Department said all evacuation orders had been lifted for Brookville and homes west of the Garden State Parkway over to Route 9.