The fire is expected to burn for at least the next couple of days, when rain is predicted to pass through the area Friday night into Saturday.

“If that does, in fact, hold true, I tend to believe that we should have this fire contained by the weekend, as long as we get the precipitation that’s forecasted,” said William J. Donnelly, chief of the state Forest Fire Service.

New Jersey acting Gov. Tahesha Way declared a state of emergency due to the ongoing Jones Road wildfire burning near Lacey, Ocean and Barnegat townships in Ocean County.

The declaration went into effect at 7 a.m. Wednesday.

The active fire was moved west of Route 9 and the Garden State Parkway away from residential areas, according to LaTourette. He also warned about air quality in the area.

“Particulate matter is of concern and folks should take precautions, particularly if you’re among a vulnerable population,” he said. “We need to make sure that their windows are closed and that they’re keeping themselves safe.”

The American Red Cross said they remain on standby should there be a need for emergency shelters. About 300 people on Tuesday utilized shelters they established at Manchester and Southern Regional high schools. Kimberly Goetz, executive director of American Red Cross of Central New Jersey, said they’ve also met specific requests from emergency officials.

“We are going to be doing some staging of both water and some emergency supplies like dust masks in some specific communities,” she said.