Ocean County, N.J. wildfire declared arson, 19-year-old in custody, authorities say
The Jones Road Wildfire in Ocean County, New Jersey is now considered a case of arson sparked by a bonfire that wasn't properly extinguished, state and county authorities say.
Joseph Kling, 19, of Waretown in Ocean Township, has been arrested on arson and aggravated arson charges, the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection and Ocean County Prosecutor's Office announced Thursday morning.
Investigators say Kling set wooden pallets on fire near Jones and Bryant roads in Ocean Township and then left the area without fully putting out the fire. He was taken into custody and transported to Ocean County Jail, where he is awaiting a detention hearing.
Officials with the New Jersey Forest Fire Service said Wednesday the wildfire could end up being the largest the state has seen in two decades. It's expected to keep burning for days, prompting air quality concerns from South Jersey to New York City.
The fire is approximately 50% contained after scorching 15,200 acres, and that four structures remain under threat. Authorities again pleaded with the public not to fly drones in the fire area, saying it prevents them from flying missions to douse the fire.
New Jersey's acting Gov. Tahesha Way has declared a state of emergency for Ocean County, and New York officials are warning residents about an air quality alert for New York City, Long Island and the lower Hudson Valley.
N.J. wildfire has Ocean County residents on edge
Officials say it will likely take days to fully contain and extinguish the fire, but thanks to the work of first responders, they are now fighting this battle in the woods and not in people's backyards.
"Based on the weather that we're dealing with right now -- humidity's down, we've got these breezes, temperatures are up -- I do believe this fire is going to continue to burn, especially in some of the low areas, probably until we get some precipitation," New Jersey Forest Fire Service Chief Bill Donnelly told reporters Wednesday morning. "So based on the forecast, it looks like Friday night into Saturday, which realistically is only a couple days away. If that does in fact hold true, I tend to believe that we should have this fire contained by the weekend."
"Thanks to the incredible, heroic work of the good men and women of our New Jersey Forest Fire Service, folks' homes and lives have been saved, and we've truly averted a major disaster," said New Jersey Forest Fire Service Commissioner Shawn LaTourette.
More than 5,000 residents had to be evacuated after the fire broke out Tuesday morning, and over 1,300 homes were under threat in Ocean and Lacey townships. Power was shut off to more than 25,000 customers, but service was fully restored by Wednesday evening.
Although the evacuation orders have been lifted and the power is back on, some families remain on edge, hoping rain in the forecast will help firefighting efforts.
"I didn't sleep all night. We got the notice that we could go back, but it's still very unsettling because, look at it," Lacey Township resident Aimee Zettel said.
"It doesn't look good, but they keep telling us everything is all right. So as long as it ain't blowing this way, hopefully they'll get it under control," said resident Bill Schultz.
Fire officials say no injuries have been reported and no homes were damaged, but one business, several outbuildings and cars were destroyed.
April 20th is considered the peak of spring fire season in New Jersey. Even though there has been recent rain, officials warn drought conditions are deeply serious, particularly in the southern half of the state.
The fire service says the state saw 310 wildfires with 315 acres burned this time last year, compared to 662 wildfires with 16,572 acres burned during the same period this year.
