BREAKING: Major Wildfire Forces Evacuations in Ocean County, NJ

A major wildfire is burning at this hour in a portion of Barnegat Township (Ocean County) and it is having ripple effects throughout New Jersey.

As of 4:00 p.m. the fire is still growing, and now evacuations have been ordered in a portion of the area.

More bad news? Garden State Parkway has been closed in both directions between exits 63 and 80, as of 5:00 p.m. Route 9 in Barnegat and Waretown is also closed in both directions.

Fire First Reported Early Tuesday Afternoon, Continues to Grow

The fire in the Greenwood Forest Wildlife Management Area of Barnegat Township was first reported around 12:22 p.m. on Tuesday. It has continued to grow since that time.

It’s been named the Jones Road Wildfire.

Here's new footage of the fire from NBC Philadelphia:

As of this hour it was reported to be at least 150 acres, according to the New Jersey Forest Fire Service. It was 0% contained, but fire crews are said to be working on containment lines for the fire.

It was previously estimated that 12 structures were threatened by the fire.

Mandatory Evacuations Ordered

Now mandatory evacuations have been ordered in the area.

“Mandatory evacuations are underway on Wells Mills Road from Bryant Road to the Garden State Parkway in Ocean Twp., Ocean County,” the New Jersey Forest Fire Service said in an update around 3:30 p.m.

Scary Images Show the Massive Fire Throughout Ocean County

Meanwhile, residents from throughout Ocean and Burlington County have been reporting that they’ve seen the smoke and ash billowing into the air.

In fact, here are a few of those photos on social media:

Fire officials will hold a press conference around 5 p.m. to provide any additional updates.

Firefighters Fighting Barnegat, NJ Fire

A helicopter capable of dropping 300 gallons of water onto the fire has joined the firefight as well, officials say. 

94.5 PST and Townsquare Media’s Chief Meteorologist Dan Zarrow tells us that winds in the area are blowing out of the west, guesting to 20 mph.

“So if you smell smoke in Ocean County, that's what it is,” Dan wrote in an update on social media.