19-year-old faces arson charges in N.J. wildfire, prosecutors say he set a bonfire

A 19-year-old man faces arson charges related to the wildfire in Ocean County, N.J. that has scorched more than 15,000 acres. 

Joseph Kling, of Waretown, faces aggravated arson and arson charges related to the fire. According to the Ocean County prosecutor and New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection, the wildfire started Tuesday at around 9:45 a.m. 

Authorities say a joint investigation revealed the wildfire was caused by a bonfire that wasn’t properly extinguished. Authorities allege Kling lit wooden pallets on fire and then left the area before the fire was fully out. 

Kling has been taken into custody and is being held at the Ocean County Jail pending a hearing. 

Officials say the fire started in Waretown and then continued to spread in Lacey Township, destroying a commercial building. Authorities say they were able to use GPS to determine where the fire started. 

Kling was arrested after a combined investigation including numerous agencies, including the Ocean County prosecutor’s office, NJ DEP, NJ Forest Fire Service, Ocean Township police, Lacey Township police, and more. 

Check back soon for more on this developing story.