Ocean County prosecutors have charged 19-year-old Joseph Kling with starting one of New Jersey’s worst wildfires in 20 years, which is still burning and has now grown to more than 15,000 acres in size across Waretown and Lacey Townships.

Kling, of Waretown, allegedly set wooden pallets on fire and then left the area without extinguishing the bonfire properly. He is currently being held in Ocean County Jail, charged with Aggravated Arson and Arson, pending a detention hearing.

The prosecutor’s office said Kling has no attorney listed yet.

Investigators said they used GPS to plot the origin of the fire and subsequent enquiries revealed Kling as the suspect.

New Jersey Fire May Burn for Days

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 on Wednesday evening.

“This is still a very active fire,” said 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.”

Vegetation smoulders as television crews report nearby a destroyed business from a wildfire on April 24, 2025, in Forked River, New Jersey. Vegetation smoulders as television crews report nearby a destroyed business from a wildfire on April 24, 2025, in Forked River, New Jersey. Adam Gray/Getty Images

Higher-than-normal pollution levels were expected Thursday in New York City, Rockland and Westchester counties, and in Long Island’s Nassau and Suffolk counties, the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation advised Wednesday.

The fire is roughly 54 miles (87 kilometers) south of New York City.

It said “going indoors may reduce exposure” to problems such as eye, nose and throat irritation, coughing, sneezing and shortness of breath.

Forest Fires Common in Pine Barrens

Forest fires are a common occurrence in the Pine Barrens, a 1.1 million-acre (445,000-hectare) 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. It’s a vast wilderness in the country’s most densely populated state.

LaTourette, the DEP commissioner, said the fire is straddling an area on the edge of wilderness and residential areas. “It’s the interface where the environment and development meet,” he said.

The area had been under a severe drought until recently, when early spring rains helped dampen the region, but officials cautioned recent low humidity and a dry stretch have heightened the risk of fire.

This article uses reporting by The Associated Press.