2025 at 11:02 am ET.css-79elbk{position:relative;}A house and a car were both significantly damaged Thursday when the car's gas tank exploded causing itself and the house to catch fire NJ — A house and a car were both significantly damaged Thursday when the car's gas tank exploded The fire at 1001 Vessel Lane was reported at about 2:15 p.m While the home apparently had been vacant for several months an adult man was working on a car in the house's garage He attempted to remove debris from the car's gas tank when an explosion occurred The fire originated in the garage and spread to the house was assessed by EMS on the scene and refused further treatment The fire was deemed to be accidental and is not considered suspicious at this time Get more local news delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for free Patch newsletters and alerts. Please enable JS and disable any ad blocker WARETOWN ― One of the worst wildfires in southern Ocean County history has more than doubled in size forcing the evacuation of some 3,000 people which began in the Pine Barrens near the Barnegat-Waretown municipal boundary shortly after 10 a.m moved northward into Lacey by the evening hours forcing the closure of the Garden State Parkway in that same area as flames were seen along the grassy areas near the roadway and into the woods More than 23,000 Jersey Central Power & Light customers in Barnegat and Waretown are without power according to the electric company that serves much of the Jersey Shore JCP&L had cut electricity from the Oyster Creek substation at the request of the Forest Service for the safety of fire crews The New Jersey Forest Fire Service issued an update at 10:30 p.m saying that the wildfire had consumed an additional 5,300 acres during the evening hours which is concentrated in Waretown and Lacey Lacey Mayor Peter Curatola said three structures in the township’s industrial park caught on fire In addition to the glowing flames and smoke that could be seen in the distance the power outage that occurred just after 6 p.m except for the steady wail of sirens in the distance The air was filled with the acrid smell of smoke Dawn Kramer of Lacey said that as the fire spread throughout the day She didn’t decide to evacuate until she started to see the glow from the blaze “It wasn’t bad until I saw the flames,” Kramer said She recounted a story a friend told her about how she saw fire officials spraying water on her house ― trying to save it She then headed to her mother’s house in Little Egg Harbor that she couldn’t see the Parkway as she drove past Curatola implored Lacey residents to follow the direction of police and emergency services: “This is really fluid,” he said “What we have now is if the winds change tonight and blow harder and blow northbound there could be other evacuations,” Curatola said spokesman for the New Jersey Turnpike Authority said the closure of the parkway runs from Exit 63 in Stafford to Exit 80 in South Toms River With the Garden State Parkway closed in southern Ocean County and a portion of Route 9 closed in Lacey secondary and neighborhood roads throughout the region had become veritable parking lots Multiple evacuation centers have been established Southern Regional High School in Stafford is open to evacuees with pets The following evacuations have so far been reported: Along with the parkway and parts of Route 9 three roads have been closed: Route 532 between Route 72 and the Garden State Park and Jones Road between Route 532 and Bryant Road According to the Ocean County Sheriff's Office Parker Point Boulevard at Route 9 in Lacey has been partially reopened Lacey police said the fire jumped Route 9 near Beach Boulevard Evacuations have been ordered for Beach Boulevard and the surrounding areas of Clune Park The fire was first reported about 10:15 a.m The forest fire service is battling the blaze with fire engines bulldozers and ground crews; a helicopter capable of dropping 300 gallons of water along with another helicopter for observation; and an aircraft ― a contact air tanker ― capable of dropping 600 gallons of water The cause of the wildfire is still under investigation A Nixle alert shortly after noon from the Barnegat Police Department initially reported that about 5 acres were on fire west of Route 532 on the Barnegat/Waretown border by Jones and Bryant roads There was no danger to the public at that time a brush fire becomes a major wildfire when it exceeds 100 acres The forest fire service's current fire danger map shows the risk to be high in the bottom half of the state and moderate up north The five-step scale runs from low to extreme with high risk being in the middle About 1,500 wildfires damage or destroy 7,000 acres of forest every year in the state on average Check back for developments on this breaking story A wildfire broke out in the Greenwood Forest Wildlife Management Area in Barnegat Township The fire has since spread to more than 1,200 acres North and southbound lanes of the Garden State Parkway were closed around Exit 69 in Waretown On Tuesday, a wildfire broke out in the Greenwood Forest Wildlife Management Area in Barnegat Township. The fire has since spread to more than 1,200 acres, with 0 percent contained, according to an article by NJ Advance Media The north and southbound lanes of the Garden State Parkway around Exit 69 in Waretown have been closed as of 5 p.m., according to a post by the New Jersey Forest Fire Service The lanes around Exit 80 in South Toms River and all entrances and exits to the Garden State Parkway in Stafford Township have also been closed 16 structures have been evacuated along Bryant Road and Wells Mills Road in Ocean Township Wells Mills Road between Route 72 and the Garden State Parkway Bryant Road between Wells Mills Road and Route 539 and Jones Road between Route 532 and Bryant Road have all been closed as a result of the fire NJ Advance Media reported that additional evacuations have been issued in the Barnegat neighborhoods Windward Brookeville and the houses on West Bay Avenue Evacuations have also taken place in Lacey Township in the southern sections of the Barnegat Pines Another post by the New Jersey Forest Fire Service has stated that the cause of the fire is currently under investigation resources being used to combat the fire include a helicopter able to drop 300 gallons of water a contact air tanker able to drop 600 gallons of water and backfiring operations This is a developing story. Additional information can be found at NJ Advance Media An uncontained wildfire has spread more than 8,500 acres in central New Jersey The unnamed blaze was first reported shortly after 10 a.m. local time and has since spread in the Pine Barrens area of southern Ocean County, according to the New Jersey Forest Fire Service The fire was only 10% contained as of 7 p.m The fire threatens more than 1,320 structures leading to authorities decision to order evacuations for more than 3,000 residents Officials have also closed the Garden State Parkway roadway in response to the fire as well as Wells Mills County Park More than 13,000 people are without power in the town of Barnegat and the community of Waretown The Barnegat Township Police Department reported that the electricity provider cut the power along the parkway The cause of the fire is under investigation and damage assessments are underway This story was updated to add newer information and video Hannah Parry is a Newsweek Live Blog Editor based in New York tech and crime extensively.Hannah joined Newsweek in 2024 and previously worked as an assistant editor at The U.S Sun and as a senior reporter and assistant news editor at The Daily Mail She is a graduate of the University of Nottingham You can get in touch with Hannah by emailing h.parry@newsweek.com either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content A New Jersey wildfire has sparked evacuation orders for thousands of residents as the blaze engulfed thousands of acres in a matter of hours New Jersey is recovering from a drought earlier this month, and according to recent data from the Department of Environmental Protection, most of the state is still suffering from "very dry" stream conditions This week has also seen a run of warm sunny days warm temperatures and a slight breeze has put the area at an elevated wildfire risk but the National Weather Service has not yet issued a Red Flag warning more than 3,000 people have been evacuated as the Jones Road Wildfire has rapidly spread to consume more than 3,200 acres In a follow-up post by the New Jersey Forest Fire Service later Tuesday night on X, formerly Twitter the flames had intensified to engulf 8,500 acres The blaze began earlier Tuesday in the Greenwood Forest Wildlife Management Area before moving north to Waretown and Lacey It is already threatening 1,320 structures and has caused the closure of a 17-mile stretch of the state's busiest highway The Barnegat Police Department confirmed that Jersey Central Power & Light have now cut power along the Garden State Parkway due to the wildfire The Garden State Parkway is also closed between Barnegat Road and Lacey Road the New Jersey Forest Fire Service said in the thread on X More than 25,000 people in the state are without power, according to FindEnergy.com. dark smoke could be seen billowing up from the wildfire on Tuesday night as locals shared "frightening footage" of the blaze on social media The cause of the fire is still under investigation Some frightening footage emerging from the Jones Road Wildfire, which is currently burning at the Greenwood Forest Wildlife Management Area in Barnegat Township, New Jersey.The fire, which is 0% contained, has spread to nearly 1,500 acres in size and has forced evacuations. pic.twitter.com/m7RZ01XSsG Amazing view from @CBSPhiladelphia Chopper 3 of the Jones Road wildfire burning in Barnegat Twp. down the shore. A portion of the Garden State Parkway is now closed. More details here: https://t.co/dfQYEWKRDn https://t.co/2zGAOylX8E pic.twitter.com/cBsfCvwdJ4 legislative director of Agudath Israel's New Jersey office "Some frightening footage emerging from the Jones Road Wildfire which is currently burning at the Greenwood Forest Wildlife Management Area in Barnegat Township CBS Meteorologist Grant Gilmore posted on X "There is so much smoke/ash in the air that it's showing up on the radar The radar beam that is picking up on the smoke is nearly 2,000 ft above the ground New Jersey Forest Fire Service said in a post on X "WILDFIRE UPDATE: Jones Road Wildfire - Ocean & Lacey Townships Ocean County New Jersey Forest Fire Service remains on scene of a wildfire burning in Ocean & Lacey Townships SIZE & CONTAINMENT 🔥 3,200 acres 🔥 5% contained." which is expected to bring some relief to the region ET: This article has been updated with additional information Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground Newsletters in your inbox See all NJ — The forest fire that started burning in Barnegat Tuesday has grown to 3,200 acres and moved north in Waretown and Lacey The blaze is 5 percent contained as of Tuesday night The fire is threatening 1,320 structures and 3,000 people have been evacuated which is expected to be closed until midnight Residents should plan alternate routes in the morning in case the closure is extended Mandatory evacuations are underway for those on Wells Mills Road from Bryant Road to the Garden State Parkway in Waretown A shelter is open at Southern Regional High School in Manahawkin Pheasant Run and Barnegat Pines South Section are under mandatory evacuation Beach Boulevard and surrounding areas of Clune Park including South River Drive Sandy Hook Drive and Orlando Drive are also under mandatory evacuation Residents can go to Manchester Township High School lost power and is no longer operating as one Voluntary evacuations were issued out of precaution for Windward Brookville and all houses on West Bay Avenue in those areas in Barnegat The Ocean County Sherriff's Office said that the Garden State Parkway is closed in both directions from Exit 74 South to Exit 63 North Drivers are asked to take alternate routes and expect delays Exit 69 has reopened to help with evacuation efforts New Jersey Forest Fire Service officials have dubbed the blaze the Jones Wildfire and are on the scene working on containment The county has issued an air quality alert due to the fire. Read more: Wildfire Prompts Public Health Alert In Ocean County An estimated 23,000 JCP&L customers lost power Tuesday as the company cut power lines in and out of their Oyster Creek substation This is to help keep the crews battling the fire safe The estimated time of restoration is 12:30 p.m "Safety is our top priority and all restoration timing will be determined by the safety of firefighters "We appreciate your patience and understanding during this time." The fire is within the Greenwood Forest Wildlife Management Area which spans Barnegat These roads are currently closed as of 6 p.m Joining the Forest Fire Service are numerous local The cause of the fire is under investigation A forest fire burns west of Wells Mills Road in Barnegat Township on Tuesday Smoke carried for miles from the site of the fire leading to air pollution warnings Wednesday in Atlantic County Ocean and Lacey townships has grown to more than 13,500 acres at its peak threatening 1,320 buildings and forcing 5,000 people to flee their homes For photos from the fire, click here 6:00 a.m.:  Smoke will continue to permeate the area and emergency personnel will remain on site for the next few days while efforts continue to acquire 100% containment 5:30 a.m.: Jones Road fire has now grown to 13,250 acres and is 50% contained according to the state Forest Fire Service Route 532 (Wells Mills Road) has now been reopened 7:30 p.m.: The Ocean County forest fire has spread to 13,250 acres and is 50% contained, the New Jersey Forest Fire Service said in an update about 7 p.m. Twelve structures remain threatened Wells Mills Road remains closed between Route 72 and the Garden State Parkway Bryant Road remains closed between Wells Mills and Route 539 Jones Road remains closed between Wells Mills and Bryant Road The fire has spread to 12,500 acres and is 40% contained The fire service is scheduled to give another update at 7:30 p.m 4:30 p.m.: Comcast has opened 10,000 WiFi hotspots up for the residents and first responders in Ocean County to help with fire response 2 p.m.: Jersey Central Power & Light crews are continuing wildfire-related inspections and have begun restoring power to customers Additional crews from throughout the state are assisting with this process and about 18,700 customers remain without service The blaze in Ocean County had burned 12,000 acres as of Wednesday afternoon and forced 5,000 people to flee their homes Yet only one business — a garage door and awning company in an industrial park in Lacey — was destroyed heroic work of the good men and women of our New Jersey Forest Fire Service we truly averted a major disaster," said Shawn LaTourette New Jersey's environmental protection commissioner it could surpass New Jersey's largest fire in recent decades a 2007 blaze in Ocean County touched off by National Guard bombing target practice in bone-dry conditions at a military training facility that burned 17,000 acres To read more, click here 1 p.m.: Atlantic County air quality was listed as unhealthy for sensitive groups Wednesday and was expected to improve slightly to moderate Thursday 12 p.m.: Ocean County Office of Emergency Management and Red Cross staff will be giving out N-95 masks to any residents who would like one due to the current poor air quality Masks can be picked up at the Barnegat Township Recreation Center The shelter at Southern Regional High School has been relocated to Saint Mary's Parish Center 11:30 a.m.: Jersey Central Power & Light officials said the company should have all power restored to Lacey residents by this afternoon 10:50 a.m.: The fire has spread to 11,500 acres and is 30% contained adding one commercial building and multiple outbuildings and vehicles were destroyed Bryant Road is still closed between Wells Mills Road and Route 539 as is Jones Road between Wells Mills Road and Bryant Road 10:05 a.m.: Lacey Township police are asking drivers to use caution when driving through the town today "All of the traffic lights are currently operating on backup power and may not be as consistent as usual," police said in a statement "Please use caution when approaching an intersection that is not controlled by traffic signals." 10 a.m.: Crews are still actively working to suppress any remaining fires according to a statement from the Barnegat Township Police Department "We want to extend a heartfelt thank you to The NJ Forest Fire Service and all surrounding fire companies for their incredible efforts throughout the night our town remains safe from the immediate threat of fire," according to the statement "We appreciate everyone's patience and caution on our roadways as our officers continue to direct traffic at controlled intersections."  9:35 a.m.: Jersey Central Power & Light crews received clearance to begin reviewing equipment to assess for any potential damage as a result of the wildfire Approximately 25,000 customers remained without power 9:30 a.m.: All evacuation orders have been lifted according to the New Jersey Office of Emergency Management BARNEGAT TOWNSHIP — A massive forest fire tearing through the New Jersey Pinelands in Ocean County nearly tripled in size Tuesday night threatening 1,320 buildings and forcing 3,000 people to flee their homes The blaze in the Greenwood Forest Wildlife Management Area near the Ocean Township border started to move north about 6:30 p.m. touching off a new wave of evacuations and closing even more roads including busy Route 9 and a section of the Garden State Parkway The New Jersey Forest Fire Service said the blaze was being battled by numerous crews on land and in the air A State of Emergency has been declared for the area by Lt the parkway and Route 9 were open in both directions The state Department of Environmental Protection and Forest Fire Service will hold a press briefing on the fire at 11 a.m The fire was only 10% contained shortly before midnight but things took a turn for the worse in the evening as it began moving north into new areas threatening thousands of homes in Lacey Township Fire engines and ambulances that had been deployed in Waretown and Barnegat began racing north into Lacey extending a mandatory evacuation order on and near the busy highway Shelters were set up at a nearby Methodist church and at Southern Regional High School in Stafford Township Wednesday that all evacuation orders were lifted adding heavy smoke conditions remain in the area Jersey Central Power & Light cut power along the parkway leading to an outage across most of Barnegat but agonized about leaving her 22 chickens behind "I wanted to take them in the car with me; can you imagine 22 chickens in a car?" she asked Her husband agreed to stay with the birds while Debi took her two dogs Miss Tuffy — only to run headlong into gridlocked traffic that shut down the area for hours "It was like a war zone: Smoke all around my house and all these planes and helicopters constantly flying overhead," Schaffer said a fellow evacuee from a Waretown housing development appeared in the same parking lot with a bag full of Butterfinger and Nestle Crunch candy bars that he handed out to other evacuees "I keep this in the car for emergencies," he said "I figured this might help ease their stress a little." Staci Laubauskas and her family were ordered to evacuate their home in Waretown about 7 p.m but were holding off doing so for as long as they could they might not be able to come get you," she said firefighters racing past her house on Wells Mills Road were still waving A forest fire in the Peaslee Wildlife Management Area has grown to 1,300 acres the New Jersey Forest Fire Service said Sunday evening Tyler Gonnella was walking his dog Tanner on the shoreline of Wells Mills Park "We saw a lot of smoke and ash coming down and then it just kind of took over," added his companion firefighters continued working to contain the blaze Crews constructed new containment lines and reinforced existing ones They also performed a backfiring operation to burn fuel in advance of the main body of fire The Forest Fire Service deployed fire engines bulldozers and ground crews; as well as two helicopters one capable of dropping 300 gallons of water and one for observation; and an air tanker capable of dropping 600 gallons of water Wells Mills Road was closed between Route 72 and the parkway Bryant Road was closed between Wells Mills Road and Route 539 Jones Road was closed between Wells Mills and Bryant roads Route 9 was closed from north of Wells Mills Road to Lacey Road The site of the fire is near the Out of Sight alpaca farm The farm said in a Facebook post the property wasn't threatened and all of the animals were safe It also was at least two or three miles from the former Oyster Creek nuclear power plant where spent nuclear fuel is still stored on site The cause of the fire was under investigation This was the second major fire in the region in less than a week A forest fire in the Peaslee Wildlife Management Area in Vineland started Friday and spread to 1,300 acres Subscribe to our Daily Headlines newsletter Email notifications are only sent once a day A forest fire burning through the New Jersey Pinelands could become the largest fire in the state over the past 20 years Dramatic video shows a massive wildfire engulfing New Jersey’s Pinelands A forest fire burned at least 1,200 acres in Barnegat Township on Tuesday cutting power and forcing evacuations in the s… Sign up for a digital subscription to The Press of Atlantic City now and take advantage of a great offer Get up-to-the-minute news sent straight to your device Account processing issue - the email address may already exist Invalid password or account does not exist Submitting this form below will send a message to your email with a link to change your password An email message containing instructions on how to reset your password has been sent to the email address listed on your account 2024 at 9:49 am ET.css-79elbk{position:relative;}A family was displaced from their Ocean Acres home on Christmas Day following an early morning house fire NJ — A family was displaced from their Ocean Acres home on Christmas Day following an early morning house fire The downstairs portion of the Navy Lane house was entirely engulfed in flames when police arrived The residents had already evacuated with their pets Stafford and Barnegat firefighters extinguished the blaze Buccaneer Lane and Atlantis Avenue were temporarily closed to traffic Investigation into the fire's cause is ongoing but officials say it does not appear to be suspicious The American Red Cross was contacted to provide assistance to the family 2024 at 10:18 am ET.css-79elbk{position:relative;}The fire was reported on the 200 block of Schooner Avenue at about 11:30 p.m NJ — An Ocean Acres was damaged in a late night house fire over the weekend The fire was reported on the 200 block of Schooner Avenue at about 11:30 p.m the back of the home and the deck were engulfed in flames Firefighters arrived on scene and extinguished the fire The home's immediate neighbors were evacuated for precautionary purposes and Breakers Drive was temporarily closed to through traffic This story is an update to Biden to ban new oil drilling over vast areas of US Atlantic, Pacific waters. President Joe Biden has issued an executive action that is designed to permanently ban future offshore oil and gas development in parts of the Atlantic and Pacific oceans Analysis from multiple political pundits suggests that the manner of this designation could be especially difficult for the incoming Trump administration to undo Biden’s executive action will ban new oil and gas leasing across 625 million acres of ocean along the entire East Coast and portions of Alaska’s Northern Bering Sea Biden’s order would not affect the central and western parts of the Gulf of Mexico where most US offshore drilling takes place.  “My decision reflects what coastal communities and beachgoers have known for a long time: that drilling off these coasts could cause irreversible damage to places we hold dear and is unnecessary to meet our nation’s energy needs,” Biden said in a statement The action invoked the 1953 Outer Continental Shelf Lands Act a law that gives presidents broad authority to withdraw federal waters from future oil and gas leasing and development Analysts have noted that the law does not give presidents explicit authority to revoke the action and place federal waters back into development meaning that President-elect Donald Trump would have to get Congress to change it before he could reverse Biden’s move Biden’s drilling ban will “be changed on day one I will unban it immediately,” Trump told radio host Hugh Hewitt “I have the right to unban it.” “It represents a major attack on the oil and natural gas industry.” Neal said the ban would severely limit the industry’s potential for future oil and gas exploration in new areas hurting the industry’s long-term ability to survive The American Petroleum Institute was also critical of Biden’s decision “American voters sent a clear message in support of domestic energy development and yet the current administration is using its final days in office to cement a record of doing everything possible to restrict it,” API CEO Mike Sommers said in a statement “We urge policymakers to use every tool at their disposal to reverse this politically motivated decision and restore a pro-American energy approach to federal leasing.” The National Ocean Industries Association called Biden’s decision “a strategic error but by political motives.” NOIA president Erik Milito said that the move “directly undermines American energy consumers and jeopardizes the vast benefits tied to a thriving domestic energy sector Even if there’s no immediate interest in drilling in some offshore areas it’s crucial for the federal government to maintain the flexibility to adapt” to unexpected global events such as Russia’s invasion of Ukraine “Blanket bans only serve to transfer energy production and economic opportunities abroad inadvertently bolstering countries like Russia at the expense of US interests.” Bruce Beaubouef is Managing Editor for Offshore magazine he plans and oversees content for the magazine; writes features on technologies and trends for the magazine; writes news updates for the website; creates and moderates topical webinars; and creates videos that focus on offshore oil and gas and renewable energies Beaubouef has been in the oil and gas trade media for 25 years starting out as Editor of Hart’s Pipeline Digest in 1998 he went on to serve as Associate Editor for Pipe Line and Gas Industry for Gulf Publishing for four years before rejoining Hart Publications as Editor of PipeLine and Gas Technology in 2003 He joined Offshore magazine as Managing Editor in 2010 and his dissertation was published in book form by Texas A&M University Press in September 2007 as The Strategic Petroleum Reserve: U.S MORE: Asbury Park Press live blog tracking voting, candidates, issues for 2024 election 2024 at 9:26 am ET.css-79elbk{position:relative;}The man was identified as Mark Paturzzio NJ — An Ocean Acres man was charged with two counts of burglary after he was caught stealing from cars in the middle of the night 16 when a Mizzen Avenue resident told police he had seen a suspicious person in his driveway on his security camera Officers canvassed the area and found a man walking on the street who matched the caller's description Paturzzio had money and other assorted items on him from other car burglaries he committed that night in Ocean Acres He was charged with two counts of burglary We take on many of the biggest environmental and health challenges of our time and stick with them. The law makes change. Updates Earthjustice goes to court for our planet.We’re here because the earth needs a good lawyer What happened:  A federal court ruled that the government broke the law two years ago when it irresponsibly put 73 million acres of the Gulf of Mexico up for auction to oil and gas companies Earthjustice represented Gulf-based and environmental groups in the case We sued the government for failing to adequately consider the lease sale’s adverse impacts on the critically endangered Gulf of Mexico Rice’s whale and climate change Why it matters: Holding this lease sale was a colossal mistake Oil and gas drilling in the Gulf spikes climate emissions and threatens already-overburdened communities living near oil refineries and other polluting infrastructure It also imperils many kinds of marine life We are continuing to fight the government’s attempts to sell our oceans to the oil and gas industry we filed the first major environmental lawsuit against the second Trump administration challenging President Trump’s executive order to revoke protections from millions of acres of undeveloped public waters Updated to reflect the outcome of Earthjustice's lawsuit other nonprofit environmental and public-health organizations scientists — and we will continue to hold the government accountable to the law.” Stay informed on how we hold accountable those who break our environmental laws © 2025 Earthjustice. We respect your privacy. Earthjustice is a 501(c)3 nonprofit. Your contribution is tax-deductible. EIN 94-1730465. Notifications can be managed in browser preferences. The President-elect’s math was off by large margin during latest wild press conference at Mar-a-Lago I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our Privacy notice Donald Trump ranted about Joe Biden’s 625 million acre offshore drilling ban in the Atlantic and wrongly claimed it covered almost “the whole ocean.” “Take an acre, you have a house on a half-acre or a quarter-acre, or an acre, you have a big deal,” the President-elect exclaimed during a wild press conference on Tuesday “Now you multiply that by 625 million acres According to National Geographic, the Atlantic Ocean covers just over 41 million square miles – which is the equivalent of around 26.3 billion acres. Those 625 million acres represent only around two percent of 26.3 billion acres – not quite the “whole ocean” as Trump claimed. It comes after Biden, whose term expires in two weeks, used his authority under the federal Outer Continental Shelf Lands Act to protect offshore areas along the East and West coasts, the eastern Gulf of Mexico and portions of Alaska’s Northern Bering Sea from future oil and natural gas leasing. Around 625 million acres of federal waters were withdrawn from energy exploration by the president in a move that may require an act of Congress to undo. Trump has previously vowed to swiftly undo Biden’s ban, as well as numerous other policies. “I’m going to put it back on day one," Trump previously told reporters at his private club in Florida, pledging to take it to the courts “if we need to." A favorite Trump refrain during campaign rallies was to “drill baby, drill”, one of his louder applause lines on the 2024 trail. On Tuesday, Trump also said that Biden’s offshore drilling limitation — part of a series of final actions in office by the Biden administration — was undermining his own plans once back in the Oval Office. “You know, they told me that we’re going to do everything possible to make this transition to the new administration very smooth," Trump complained on Tuesday. “It’s not smooth.” However, Biden’s team has extended access and courtesies to the Trump team that the Republican former president initially denied Biden after his 2020 election victory. Trump’sincoming chief of staff Susie Wiles told Axios in an interview published Monday that Biden chief of staff Jeff Zients has been “very helpful.” Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies govt and politics"},{"score":0.784992,"label":"/law govt and politics/government"},{"score":0.648635,"label":"/law govt and politics/armed forces"},{"score":0.592541,"label":"/business and industrial/business operations/business plans"},{"score":0.591202,"label":"/law govt and politics/government/government contracting and procurement"},{"score":0.579475,"label":"/science/weather"},{"score":0.560687,"label":"/real estate/buying and selling homes"},{"score":0.559345,"label":"/finance/investing/funds"},{"score":0.552633,"label":"/law ‘That’s like the whole ocean!’ (It’s just 2 percent)","description":"The President-elect’s math was off by large margin during latest wild press conference at Mar-a-Lago   STAFFORD – Authorities confirmed no injuries resulted from a house fire that broke out Saturday evening in Ocean Acres   Police and fire personnel arrived to a home on Schooner Avenue at around 11:30 p.m where the rear portion of the home and the deck were engulfed in flames   Firefighters were on scene to extinguish the fire and neighboring homes were quickly evacuated for precautionary purposes Breakers Drive was temporarily closed to through traffic   Stafford Township Volunteer EMS arrived on scene and reported no injuries The American Red Cross responded to the scene to assist the residents   The cause of the fire is under investigation; however the blaze does not appear to be suspicious in nature at this time   STAFFORD – A family and their pets safely got out of a house that caught fire at around 6:30 a.m   The downstairs of the home at 200 Navy Lane in the Ocean Acres section of town was fully engulfed in flames   Stafford Township Volunteer Fire Department extinguished the fire with assistance from Barnegat Township Volunteer Fire Department and Little Egg Harbor Volunteer EMS crews arrived on scene to help in case there had been injuries   The fire severely damaged the home as well as a vehicle parked nearby and Atlantis Avenue were temporarily closed to through traffic Stafford Township Fire Prevention officials Stafford Departments of Water & Sewer and Public Works all responded   Officials are still investigating the cause but have stated that it is not suspicious in nature A GoFundMe has been set up to help the family. 2024 at 10:26 am ET.css-79elbk{position:relative;}Michael Scully was stopped by police while driving in the Ocean Acres area Tuesday NJ — A Manahawkin man was charged with drug and weapons offenses following a several month long investigation into narcotics Search warrants had already been issued for Scully's car and his Neptune Drive house numerous types of drug paraphernalia and 10 rifles and shotguns Scully was charged with possession of methamphetamine possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine and 10 counts of unlawful possession of a weapon during the course of a CDS offense He was taken to Ocean County Jail pending a court appearance Anthony Flanagan & Jonathan Lanza (2025-03-12) vs Halifax | presented by Ocean Acres Cottages & Campground ft Director of Communications for the Charlottetown Islanders Hockey Team Jim Hulton for Game 2 of the QMJHL Playoffs (2025-03-29) at Rimouski Oceanic | Ocean Acres Cottages & Campground PA Announcer Kirk MacKinnon explains some of the key reason for purchasing a 2010-2011 season ticket The Rocket are set to launch with two road games to start the season.  The inaugural game of the season… the PEI Rocket announced that Islander Travis McIsaac would have the honour of being Captain for the… After unveiling the new Reebok Edge jerseys last year the Rocket will unveil the new 3rd jersey at the home… Matthew Hobbs – This is My Civic Centre Jim Hulton & Simon Hughes for Game 1 of the QMJHL Playoffs (2025-03-28) at Rimouski Oceanic | Ocean Acres Cottages & Campground Acadie-Bathurst Titan | presented by Ocean Acres Cottages & Campground ft 2023 at 4:41 pm ET.css-79elbk{position:relative;}Units operated for about three hours on scene NJ — A house fire in Ocean Acres Thursday took multiple units three hours to extinguish due to its nature The Stafford Township Fire Company was dispatched to the house at about 6:30 p.m a FAST Team from Forked River Fire Company and an Ocean County Fire Coordinator due to the nature of the incident firefighters found a heavy fire condition on the rear deck that had extended into the house "Crews made a aggressive interior attack," firefighters said and due to the fire conditions Waretown Fire Company was also dispatched The fire was extinguished and placed under control and all units operated on scene for about three hours Stafford EMS stood by and provided rehab while members operated Eagleswood Fire Company and Lanoka Harbor Fire Company stood by to provide fire protection while Stafford units battled the blaze The fire is under investigation by the Stafford Township Bureau of Fire Prevention and the Stafford Police Department 2023 at 4:52 pm ETAmanda Simpson embraces Dennis Addesso after her new memorial is revealed Amanda Simpson lost her husband to suicide she suffered another loss - someone had stolen her memorial to her husband had been stolen from its spot in front of Amanda's house It was surrounded by mourning flags and lights Someone had purposefully gone and taken it that memorial was replaced with an even better one thanks to a group of local veterans who knew they had to do something Dennis Addesso, president of veterans' nonprofit Ma Deuce Deuce, teamed up with fellow veteran and owner of Veteran Wood Company Mike Legregni to create the new memorial Addesso and fellow Ma Deuce Deuce team members Jay Hayden and Thomas Kiselow (who also works for Vetwork in Forked River) unveiled the new memorial to Amanda Monday morning The new memorial is more detailed and even is personalized with Cpl a specific factor that made Amanda emotional a fellow Marine and suicide attempt survivor Scott Simpson took his life in 2020 after "suffering tremendously" from PTSD for years "He would give you the shirt off his back," she said But he was unable to get help for his PTSD She grew up in the area and moved back to Manahawkin this summer after living in Lacey for 10 years The memorial had been in front of her house ever since Suicide is all too common in veterans as many suffer from PTSD like Scott which also goes by M22 - 22 being the number of veterans who take their lives each day The goal is to prevent losing more veterans to suicide The nonprofit does everything from from taking veterans fishing to helping pay rent "There's really nothing we can't do right now because of our community "We like to say we're just a conduit to a blessing." 2022 at 11:40 am ET.css-79elbk{position:relative;}Here's when you can see Santa the Stafford Volunteer Fire Company #1 travels around town with Santa Claus and Stafford police just shared the 2022 schedule "Come out to your mailbox when you hear the sirens and Christmas music for a special treat from the big man!" Stafford police said Check here for Barnegat Santa run dates. Here's the 2022 schedule (check out a map below): 2022 at 9:07 am ET.css-79elbk{position:relative;}The house is on Mermaid Drive in Ocean Acres (Stafford Township Police Department)MANAHAWKIN NJ — A driver crashed a vehicle into an Ocean Acres residence and then fled the scene on foot The incident happened on April 23 around 11:40 p.m. Officer Tyler Szwed was patrolling Ocean Acres and saw that a car had crashed into a house on Mermaid Drive in the Ocean Acres section of Manahawkin Szwed found out that the crash had happened moments before he arrived and the car's occupants had fled the area police identified the driver as a 17-year-old Beach Haven West resident The driver is believed to have had multiple juvenile passengers There have been no reported injuries of the car's passengers was issued multiple motor vehicle summonses: failure to maintain lane leaving the scene of an accident with property damage and failure to report an accident He is scheduled to appear in the Stafford Township Municipal Court at a later date and time The Stafford Township Police Department thanked the multiple agencies who responded to assist at the scene including: the Stafford Township Volunteer Fire Company Stafford Township Emergency Medical Services the Stafford Township Bureau of Fire Prevention Stafford Township Building Department and the American Red Cross Anyone with additional information is asked to contact Patrolman Szwed at 609-597-1000 ext 8483 / Tszwed@staffordpolice.org or School Resource Officer Anthony Vincent at 609-597-1000 ext