Waretown, NJ – The massive Jones Road Wildfire that has been raging in Ocean County, New Jersey, since Tuesday morning has led to the arrest of a 19-year-old on arson charges, authorities announced today. The fire, dubbed the “Jones Road Wildfire,” has consumed approximately 15,000 acres in the Greenwood Forest Wildlife Management Area and surrounding areas of Ocean and Lacey Townships.
Joseph Kling, 19, of Waretown, was taken into custody and charged with aggravated arson and arson.
According to a joint statement from the Ocean County Prosecutor’s Office and the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection (DEP), investigators determined that the fire originated from an improperly extinguished bonfire.
Authorities allege that Kling set wooden pallets on fire near Jones and Bryant Roads in Ocean Township and then left the area without ensuring the flames were completely out.
GPS technology was reportedly used to pinpoint the fire’s origin, leading investigators to Kling. He is currently being held at the Ocean County Jail pending a detention hearing. It remains unclear if Kling has obtained legal representation.
The wildfire, which began on the morning of April 22nd, rapidly spread through the dry underbrush of the Pinelands, fueled by favorable weather conditions.
At its peak, the blaze forced the temporary evacuation of approximately 5,000 residents in Lacey and Ocean Townships and threatened over 1,300 structures. While residents have since been allowed to return to their homes, the fire has destroyed at least one commercial building, along with several outbuildings and vehicles.
As of Thursday morning, the Jones Road Wildfire was reported to be 50% contained. Over 100 firefighters are on the scene, utilizing ground crews and aerial support to battle the flames.
Officials with the New Jersey Forest Fire Service have indicated that achieving full containment will depend on upcoming weather conditions, with hopes resting on a forecast predicting rain later in the week. There are still about a dozen structures that remain threatened by the ongoing fire.
New Jersey’s Acting Governor Tahesha Way declared a state of emergency for Ocean County in response to the escalating situation. While no homes have been reported destroyed and no injuries have occurred, the heavy smoke generated by the fire has drifted across the region, even prompting air quality alerts for millions in New York City, Long Island, and the lower Hudson Valley.
Residents in affected areas are urged to remain indoors as much as possible.
State officials have cautioned that this wildfire could potentially become the largest in New Jersey in nearly two decades, with the last comparable incident occurring in 2007.
Last October, a statewide mandatory fire ban was put in place after the state received no rainfall for over six weeks. In December, the New Jersey Forest Fire Service lifted all fire restrictions statewide after receiving substantial rainfall.
During the fire ban, the following were prohibited on both private and public land: bonfires, fireworks, fire pits that use charcoal, general fires in wooded areas, and kerosene or gas torches.
With most of New Jersey still in a severe or extreme level of drought conditions, residents are advised to exercise caution as the East Brunswick Office of Emergency Management declared a Drought Warning on Wednesday.
