19-year-old charged with aggravated arson 'purpose to destroy forest' in connection with historically large NJ wildfire

A male has been charged with aggravated arson "purpose to destroy forest," jail records say, in connection with a New Jersey wildfire that reportedly is one of largest in the state over the last 20 years.

Joseph Kling, 19, of Ocean Township also was charged Wednesday with arson, the Ocean County Prosecutor's Office said in a news release.

The cause of the fire was 'determined to be incendiary by an improperly extinguished bonfire.'

There is no bail listed for Kling, jail records also say.

The wildfire was first located Tuesday morning in Ocean Township, officials said, adding that emergency personnel observed a fire within the Forked River Mountains Wilderness Area of the Ocean County Natural Lands Trust. The area is about 60 miles east of Philadelphia and about 10 miles west of the New Jersey shore.

The prosecutor’s office's Major Crime Unit-Arson Squad, the New Jersey Forest Fire Service, the Ocean County Fire Marshal’s Office, and New Jersey State Fire Marshal’s Office plotted the origin of the fire through GPS and said the cause of the fire was "determined to be incendiary by an improperly extinguished bonfire."

Kling set wooden pallets on fire and then left the area without fully extinguishing the fire, the prosecutor's office said.

Kling was taken into custody at Ocean Township Police Headquarters and then taken to the Ocean County Jail, where he awaits a detention hearing, officials said.

The wildfire is one of largest in the New Jersey over the last 20 years, Patch reported. The wildfire has been 50% contained, officials said Thursday.

You can view a video report here about the arrest.

Anything else?

WPVI-TV said it's "peak forest fire season" in the Pinelands wilderness area, which covers more than 1 million acres and is about the size of the Grand Canyon.

New Jersey Lt. Gov. Tahesha Way (D) declared a state of emergency in response to the wildfire, the station said.

The growing wildfire forced 5,000 residents to evacuate Tuesday night, WPVI said, citing the New Jersey Forest Fire Service. As 6:30 a.m. Wednesday, all evacuation orders were lifted, the station said.

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