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(Waretown, NJ) — Authorities say that massive New Jersey wildfire that’s consumed 15-thousand acres and is still just 50-percent contained was deliberately set by the man they’ve arrested.
19-year-old Joseph Kling of Waretown has been charged with arson and aggravated arson in the so-called Jones Road Wildfire that was first spotted Tuesday (April 22, 2025) morning in the Pine Barrens. Ocean County Prosecutor Brad Billhimer says while he’s not prepared to discuss a motive, he’s confident “the fire was set intentionally.”
Billhimer says Kling started a bonfire using wooden pallets and left the woods while it was still burning. He says it ignited a wildfire that’s now on track to become the biggest in New Jersey in two decades. Kling is being held in the Ocean County Jail and is due in court on Tuesday (April 29, 2025) for a detention hearing.
