New Jersey man charged with arson for allegedly starting large wildfire

The Ocean County Prosecutor’s Office in New Jersey on Thursday said it had charged a local man with arson and aggravated arson in connection with a 15,000-acre wildfire that began Tuesday. Joseph Kling, 19, of Waretown, N.J., allegedly started the wildfire by burning wood pallets and leaving without fully extinguishing the blaze. Local law enforcement used GPS and observation from the Cedar Bridge Fire Tower to identify the location where the fire started, according to the prosecutor’s office.

Kling was arrested and was lodged in the Ocean County Jail awaiting a detention hearing, the prosecutor’s office said. All defendants are considered innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.

What’s the latest on the fire? The fire had burned 15,000 acres in the Ocean and Lacey townships in eastern New Jersey and was 50% contained on Thursday, according to the New Jersey Forest Fire Service. It destroyed a commercial building and several vehicles. Approximately 5,000 residents of the area were also ordered to evacuate on Tuesday, though they were allowed to return home on Thursday. The Forest Fire Service said it was using bulldozers, helicopters, fire engines, and ground crews to contain the blaze.