Go Back
  • For Business
  • |
  • Warnings
  • Data Suite
  • Newsletters
  • Advertising
  • Superior Accuracy™
President Trump to visit flood-ravaged Kerrville as search continues Chevron right
New flash flood threat looms in Texas as heat scorches recovery zone. Chevron right

Columbus, OH

95°F
Location Chevron down
Location News Videos
Use Current Location
Recent

Columbus

Ohio

95°
No results found.
Try searching for a city, zip code or point of interest.
settings
Columbus, OH Weather
Today WinterCast Local {stormName} Tracker Hourly Daily Radar MinuteCast Monthly Air Quality Health & Activities

Around the Globe

Hurricane Tracker

Severe Weather

Radar & Maps

News

News & Features

Astronomy

Business

Climate

Health

Recreation

Sports

Travel

For Business

Warnings

Data Suite

Newsletters

Advertising

Superior Accuracy™

Video

Winter Center

AccuWeather Early Hurricane Center Top Stories Trending Today Astronomy Heat Climate Health Recreation In Memoriam Case Studies Blogs & Webinars

News / Weather News

Evacuation orders lifted as firefighters gain ground on New Jersey wildfire

As of Wednesday afternoon, The Jimmy’s Waterhole Fire in southern New Jersey is now 75% contained. AccuWeather forecasters warn the weather won’t provide much help to firefighters battling the blaze.

By Thomas Leffler, AccuWeather staff writer & Allison Finch, AccuWeather staff writer

Published Apr 12, 2023 10:12 AM EDT | Updated Apr 12, 2023 11:50 PM EDT

Copied

This aerial video shows a wall of flames burning in Manchester Township, New Jersey, on April 12. The fire consumed roughly 4,000 acres with firefighters reaching at least 50 percent containment.

A fast-moving wildfire broke out Tuesday evening in southern New Jersey, forcing the evacuation of more than 170 buildings as the blaze continued to grow into early Wednesday. AccuWeather forecasters warn the summerlike warmth this week will make conditions more favorable for wildfires throughout the rest of the week.

Just before 7 p.m. EDT Tuesday, the New Jersey Forest Fire Service alerted residents of an active wildfire in Manchester Township, New Jersey, which is located 30 miles east of Trenton. Within four hours, the blaze, which was dubbed Jimmy's Waterhole Fire, grew five times its size.

As of 10 a.m. EDT Wednesday morning, the wildfire had already burned 3,859 acres. The fire threatened 75 structures and closed off a portion of Route 539. The New Jersey Forest Fire Service stated that the fire was 75% contained Wednesday evening, which is a large improvement since the blaze was only 10% contained on Tuesday evening.  The New Jersey Forest Fire Service and local fire departments are working “in unified command” battling the blaze.

No injuries have been reported as of early Wednesday. The cause of the fire is under investigation, New Jersey Forest Fire Service Warden Trevor Raynor told CNN.

"Residents evacuated have been relocated to the Manchester Township High School and are being supported by the American Red Cross, Manchester Township EMS, Manchester Police Department and the Ocean County Sheriff’s Department," the New Jersey Forest Fire Service said.

According to CNN, the fire was primarily burning on federal, state and private property in Manchester Township, but it has since jumped to the nearby borough of Lakehurst. Lakehurst resident Anna Batiato told AccuWeather's Jillian Angeline that many of her neighbors kept phone lines open to keep each other informed when the blaze hit.

"I grabbed ... our medicines, I grabbed dog eardrops, I made sure to grab our toothbrushes, [a] safe box where we keep our birth certificates ... we knew to grab that," Batiato told Angeline about the moment her and her husband had to evacuate.

As of Wednesday morning, all evacuations have been lifted and Route 539 and Route 70 have both been reopened.

“While Route 539 and Route 70 have reopened, Forest Fire Service personnel will continue working to improve containment lines along these roads,” New Jersey Forecast Fire Services wrote in an update on Wednesday, urging people to stay vigilant when driving through smoky conditions.

AccuWeather forecasters warn the weather Wednesday won't be providing much relief for the blaze. Warm, dry and breezy conditions are expected in New Jersey for the rest of the week. The next chance for rain doesn't come until the weekend.

Radar loop of smoke from the New Jersey fire on April 11, 2023.

Red flag watches and warnings were in effect throughout the Northeast Wednesday due to the risk of critical fire weather, and will remain in effect throughout Thursday.

On Wednesday, another wildfire began in northern New Jersey's West Milford Township, reaching 140 acres in size with 0% containment as of 7 p.m. The fire threatened 10 structures and caused several closures on Route 23.

The state's fire service said Sunday that April marks peak wildfire season in New Jersey, something AccuWeather Senior Meteorologist Alan Reppert says applies to the entire eastern United States.

Jimmy's Waterhole Fire in NJ
Twitter

“Wildfire threat in the East typically rises in April as sunshine increases and we start to see warmer days,” Reppert said. “This week is a particularly high threat due to the winds we are seeing through the middle of the week, the abnormal warmth and the dry weather we have around now.”

At McGuire Air Force Base, 20 miles west of Manchester Township, the Tuesday afternoon high was 74 degrees Fahrenheit with winds gusting up to 24 mph.

GET THE FREE ACCUWEATHER APP

  •    Have the app? Unlock AccuWeather Alerts™ with Premium+

Earlier in the day on Tuesday, a 7-alarm brush fire occurred in Jersey City, just outside of New York City, forcing responders to divert traffic in the New Jersey Turnpike area of Caven Point. No injuries were reported as a result of the blaze, and air quality tests in the area were deemed negative for toxins.

The New York City metro area was also warm and gusty Tuesday, with a high temperature of 75 degrees at Central Park and a peak wind gust of 23 mph.

Dangerous fires appeared farther west as well. In western Pennsylvania, a brush fire reportedly affected four structures in Connoquenessing Township, slightly north of Pittsburgh.

In Richmond, Indiana, an industrial fire was contained at the site of the blaze, with one firefighter suffering an ankle injury in the process. Wayne County Emergency Management said that the fire will continue to burn for several days, and that an evacuation order is in place for a half-mile radius around the initial fire site.

"Our efforts [Tuesday] were to contain the fire to the complex the fire started on," Richmond Fire Chief Tim Brown said Wednesday. "We combated the winds and the intensity of the flames. Our efforts were successful."

The Environmental Protection Agency and the Indiana Department of Environmental Management were on site Wednesday to evaluate any potential hazards stemming from the fire.

Fire threats also expanded to Wisconsin Wednesday, where a wildfire burned around 100 acres in Juneau County before containment. On Wednesday morning, Wisconsin Gov. Tony Evers declared a state of emergency in response to elevated wildfire conditions throughout the state.

Read More:

From shorts to snow: Summerlike warmth to precede sharp cooldown
Pregnant woman, 2 others injured after winds knock over bounce house
AI reveals planet could reach critical warming threshold sooner

Want next-level safety, ad-free? Unlock advanced, hyperlocal severe weather alerts when you subscribe to Premium+ on the AccuWeather app. AccuWeather Alerts™ are prompted by our expert meteorologists who monitor and analyze dangerous weather risks 24/7 to keep you and your family safer.

Report a Typo

Weather News

Weather News

A week after deadly Texas flooding, hope fades but resilience grows

Jul. 11, 2025
Severe Weather

Rounds of severe storms to rattle, drench central US

Jul. 11, 2025
Severe Weather

Is the US seeing worse flooding this summer? Here’s what’s happening

Jul. 11, 2025
video

Before-and-after pictures show devastation caused by Texas floods

Jul. 9, 2025
Severe Weather

Severe weather to rumble in the central US through the holiday weekend

Jul. 6, 2025
Weather News

Record sargassum seaweed piles up on Caribbean islands, Gulf

Jul. 2, 2025
Weather News

Alabama teen in ICU after lightning strike hits boat, causing burns an...

Jul. 2, 2025
Show more Show less Chevron down

Topics

AccuWeather Early

Hurricane Center

Top Stories

Trending Today

Astronomy

Heat

Climate

Health

Recreation

In Memoriam

Case Studies

Blogs & Webinars

Top Stories

Weather Forecasts

Thunderstorms to fuel flash flooding threat in Texas

48 minutes ago

Weather News

President Trump visits Texas Hill Country as flood recovery continues

5 hours ago

Weather News

Camp Mystic’s owner warned of floods for decades

9 hours ago

AccuWeather Ready

Is your house in a flood zone? This map has the answer

3 hours ago

Severe Weather

Is the US seeing worse flooding this summer? Here’s what’s happening

8 hours ago

More Stories

Featured Stories

Health

How can families handle new anxieties around summer camp?

4 hours ago

Weather News

Viral pygmy hippo Moo Deng celebrates her first birthday

8 hours ago

Weather News

Orcas are bringing humans gifts of food – but why?

8 hours ago

Business

Samsung is looking into more AI devices potentially including earrings...

8 hours ago

Weather News

The US has a plan to breed millions of flies and drop them from planes

1 day ago

AccuWeather Weather News Evacuation orders lifted as firefighters gain ground on New Jersey wildfire
Company
Proven Superior Accuracy About AccuWeather Digital Advertising Careers Press Contact Us
Products & Services
For Business For Partners For Advertising AccuWeather APIs AccuWeather Connect RealFeel® and RealFeel Shade™ Personal Weather Stations
Apps & Downloads
iPhone App Android App See all Apps & Downloads
Subscription Services
AccuWeather Premium AccuWeather Professional
More
AccuWeather Ready Business Health Hurricane Leisure and Recreation Severe Weather Space and Astronomy Sports Travel Weather News Winter Center
Company
Proven Superior Accuracy About AccuWeather Digital Advertising Careers Press Contact Us
Products & Services
For Business For Partners For Advertising AccuWeather APIs AccuWeather Connect RealFeel® and RealFeel Shade™ Personal Weather Stations
Apps & Downloads
iPhone App Android App See all Apps & Downloads
Subscription Services
AccuWeather Premium AccuWeather Professional
More
AccuWeather Ready Business Health Hurricane Leisure and Recreation Severe Weather Space and Astronomy Sports Travel Weather News Winter Center
© 2025 AccuWeather, Inc. "AccuWeather" and sun design are registered trademarks of AccuWeather, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
Terms of Use | Privacy Policy | Cookie Policy | About Your Privacy Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information

...

...

...