Ocean County, New Jersey wildfire: 19-year-old charged with arson
Investigators say Joseph Kling set wooden pallets on fire and left them unattended.
The Jones Road wildfire, which has impacted Ocean and Lacey townships in Ocean County, burns in New Jersey. (Courtesy of New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection)
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Ocean County and New Jersey officials said Thursday they have arrested an Ocean Township man in connection to the Jones Road wildfire that sparked Tuesday morning.
Prosecutors in Ocean County have charged 19-year-old Joseph Kling with aggravated arson and arson. He is being held at the Ocean County Jail.
According to a joint statement from officials, Kling allegedly set wooden pallets on fire and left the area without extinguishing the flame. Investigators said they tracked down the origin of the fire using GPS and determined that it was deliberately set by an improperly extinguished bonfire.
As of 10 a.m. Thursday, the wildfire has consumed 15,000 acres and is 50% contained.
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Officials expect the Jones Road Wildfire to eclipse a 2007 blaze by the time full containment happens this weekend.
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Officials said they expect the fire to continue to burn through the end of the week, adding that full containment will depend on whether a rain forecast holds. They added it could become the state’s biggest wildfire since 2007.
This is a developing story.
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