NJ wildfire update: Where are they still burning?

Breaking news for you. Crews are now battling a huge wildfire in Ocean County, New Jersey

Yeah, we've been talking about it this morning. Audrey just mentioned it. 3,000 people evacuated

but we're getting word that all evacuation orders have been lifted, but the fire is still burning

through more than 8,500 acres. Hank Flynn joins us live right now from Ocean County with the very

latest. Hank, what do we know? Good morning, Kurt. Rosanna confirmed. Absolutely. Those two

evacuation orders have been lifted as of about 30 minutes ago. That's Lacey Township and Ocean

Township. As you can look over here, some of the people who have, they were never here by force

obviously, but this is a Southern Regional High School, one of the two Red Cross shelters that

were put in place once these fires put into place, the other being Manchester Regional High School

in Manchester, guys. Happy faces. A lot of folks going home this morning. It was only a little bit

about maybe an hour and 15 minutes ago that it was announced that the Garden State Parkway

had been fully opened once again as well. But gosh, guys, what a night

A ton of action for the lion's share to last 24 hours. Kurt, Rosanna, the fire was first detected

as you said, in Barnegat just before noon yesterday. By last night, it consumed something like 8,500 acres

was moving quickly, threatened something like 1,300 structures, many of them homes

We talked to some of the 3,000 people evacuated last night about that very situation

Talk to them this morning. It's a dreadful feeling to sit in your car worrying about the state of your home

The police did come in around 10 o'clock, and they started telling everybody they had to get out

because they... everything was shifting and coming near our community. We don't have any idea what's going on

We don know if we have a home left I am very concerned because up the road there a tractor supply company They said that place is took fire and we not too far away from it It going to

be a challenge you know and hopefully our community comes together as I'm sure they will and you know

to support one another. Yeah and fires like these guys are part of living down in the pines. We know

that. New Jersey Fire Service, firefighters among the best at dealing with them. But this one has

been a lot closer to homes and businesses. The thousands of evacuations, a reflection of how

serious that is, guys. And honestly, Rosanna, a ton of seniors down here, more than on the average

So a lot of folks advanced in age, coming in via wheelchair and shelter, not because they were hurt

but because responders told them, if you cannot get out during the evacuation, call an ambulance

or call 911 and we will come and get you. That is what's happened. But both evacuation orders have been lifted

The Garden State Parkway is open in both directions. The next mission, guys, is to go back into the neighborhoods

and find out exactly what these people are going home to. Kurt Rosanna. Hey, real quick here

How populated is that area? 8,500 acres is a lot, obviously. And we've seen the crazy, harrowing video

Is there a large population center that has to be concerned now that people are going back

Not a large one. It's sparse. But you're talking about LBI and it is getting warmer out. If this

had been maybe mid-July, you'd have more people down here. We're not quite at the shore

but close to it. There are a lot of people down here, a lot of folks that have retired here

thus the seniors that we've seen here at the Red Cross Center. So no, not a big town having to be

evacuated, but small towns running together the way it does in New Jersey. And you have to worry

about structures as well. Thank you so much for the information, Hank. We appreciate it