NJ forest fire that destroyed buildings, damaged houses that were still burning. Firefighter critically injured.

UPDATE: “Firefighters saved my house.” Neighbors escaped when forest fire raged in NJ

Firefighters are still working Monday morning to stop a major forest fire in Ocean County that destroyed commercial buildings in Lakewood, damaged more than two dozen homes in neighboring Brick, and critically injured one firefighter.

The fire will affect the morning commute as the driveway from Eastern Route 70 to Garden State Parkway is still closed, according to the Department of Transportation. The two right lanes of Route 70 west in Shorrock Street in Lakewood have also been closed and detours remain in place. The Garden State Parkway was closed in both directions on Sunday when the fire broke out on the highway, but has since reopened.

As of 10:30 p.m. Sunday, more than 170 acres were still burning while the New Jersey Forest Fire Service said they plan to continue fighting the fire overnight. Dozens of homes and nearby Brick businesses were evacuated, though residents began returning Sunday night.

“The New Jersey Forest Fire Service will continue with suppression, patrol and mop-up throughout the night and support from local fire companies will be scaled back throughout Sunday night as the rainfall increases,” the forest fire service said. “The origin has been identified and the cause is being investigated, but we can claim that it was not from a prescribed burn, which was inaccurately reported online.”

The New Jersey Forest Fire Service could not be reached immediately Monday morning for additional updates.

The strong wind and low humidity contributed to the spread of the fire.

Twenty of the 21 counties in New Jersey remain under a red flag warning until 5 p.m. Monday, as the northwest wind of 10 to 20 mph is expected to storm up to 30 mph, the National Weather Service said. The low humidity of 10 to 20 percent is still conducive to wildfires, as the NWS noted: “any fires that develop can quickly get out of control and become difficult to prevent.”

No rain is forecast in the forecast for Monday, and there is only a small chance of rain on Tuesday.

Two commercial buildings for mixed use were destroyed by the fire, but no homes were “significantly damaged,” the forest fire service said.

Lakewood Mayor Ray Cole said Monday that no homes in Lakwood were damaged, but that the New Jersey Forest Fire Service is still erecting equipment in the city in case of a flare-up. All roads in Lakewood are open.

Bricks that were evacuated were allowed to return home around 7 p.m.

Officials said the fire’s footprint was less than a quarter of a soccer field, Sunday around 1 p.m., near Airport Road and Cedarbridge Avenue in Lakewood. It jumped over Airport Road and spread to nearby buildings before crossing the Parkway.

Several other fires were reported in New Jersey on Sunday.

Jeff Goldman can be reached at [email protected]. Follow him on Twitter @JGoldmanNJ.

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