The Lakewood fire has now burned over 160 acres of land



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The blaze, which was reported at 1:30 p.m., began in Lakewood Township and spread to Garden State Parkway due to the windy conditions, New Jersey Forest Fire Service spokesman Maris Gabliks said on Sunday. at a press conference.

The blaze is currently 50% under control and still threatens several residential, commercial and commercial structures, Gabliks told reporters.

“We have extremely strong winds with low humidity which promotes the growth of the fire but also hinders the firefighters’ ability to contain and control the fire,” Gabliks told reporters. “No houses have been lost at this point, but there are houses that have been damaged.”

Several hundred people have been evacuated from the affected areas and several roads are currently closed, but no injuries have been reported yet, Gabliks said. A firefighter was reportedly injured but Gabliks said he had no further information.

A number of commercial buildings and outbuildings were damaged, but officials are not sure the exact number at this time, he said.

“During the initial operations there were two commercial structures, one-and-a-half-storey office buildings, which were exposed by fire – we have a total loss of a commercial structure and we have a partial loss of one. ‘another,’ ”Lakewood Fire Department Fire Chief Jonathan Yahr said at the press conference.

Firefighters are expected to stay in the area fighting the blaze overnight to completely contain the blaze.

The National Weather Service issued a red flag warning and wind advisory in the area on Sunday afternoon, warning of “critical fire weather” due to high winds up to 50 mph and low humidity relative.

The warning and wind advisory remain in effect until 5 p.m. and Monday midnight, respectively.

Officials do not know how the blaze started, but it is under investigation, Gabliks said.

Correction: An earlier version of this story incorrectly stated the name of a township in New Jersey. This is the Township of Brick.

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