LACEY TOWNSHIP, N.J. (KYW Newsradio) — A 19-year-old Ocean Township man has been charged with starting the fire that shot across more than 15,000 acres in less than 48 hours — possibly the largest wildfire in New Jersey in the last 20 years, officials said.
Prosecutors said Joseph Kling, of Waretown, was charged on Wednesday with aggravated arson and arson in connection with a wildfire.
Investigators said he set wooden pallets on fire and failed to properly put them out.
The prosecutor’s office said Kling has no attorney listed yet.
The fire in the southern part of New Jersey could continue to burn for days before rain later this week, officials said. No one has been injured so far in the blaze, and 5,000 residents were evacuated but have been permitted to return home. A single commercial building and some vehicles were destroyed in the fire, while 12 structures remained threatened Wednesday evening.
MORE: Wildfire in Ocean County ‘could very well end up being the largest wildfire in NJ in 20 years’
“This is still a very active fire,” said New Jersey's Department of Environmental Protection Commissioner Shawn LaTourette. “As we continue to get this under full control the expectation is that the number of acres will grow and will grow in a place that is unpopulated.”
The Ocean County Sheriff's Office in New Jersey also cautioned early Thursday about air quality, saying “smoke will continue to permeate the area.” It said emergency personnel will be on site for the next few days.
Officials said the fire is believed to be the second-worst in the last two decades, smaller only than a 2007 blaze that burned 26 square miles.
Acting New Jersey Gov. Tahesha Way declared a state of emergency Wednesday and officials said they’ve contained about 50% of the wildfire.
Forest fires are a common occurrence in the Pine Barrens, a 1.1 million-acre state and federally protected reserve about the size of the Grand Canyon lying halfway between Philadelphia to the west and the Atlantic coast to the east. The region, with its quick-draining sandy soil, is in peak forest fire season. The trees are still developing leaves, humidity remains low and winds can kick up, drying out the forest floor.
The area had been under a severe drought until recently.