New Jersey man faces arson charges in connection with Jones Road Wildfire that has scorched over 15,000 acres

BARNEGAT, N.J. — A New Jersey man has been arrested and is facing arson charges after being accused of starting the Jones Road Wildfire that has consumed more than 15,000 acres in Ocean County since Tuesday.

In a statement, officials said investigators determined that the cause of the fire was an improperly extinguished bonfire. They said 19-year-old Joseph Kling, of Waretown, is accused of setting wooden pallets on fire and leaving the area without the fire being fully extinguished.

Kling has been charged with aggravated arson and arson in connection with the wildfire.

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Firefighters are continuing to contain and extinguish what is now the largest wildfire in years in New Jersey after torching more than 10,000 acres in an instant. Officials have now warned that the inferno could rage for several more days.

As of Friday, the Jones Road Wildfire has burned about 15,300 acres and is about 60% contained.

About 5,000 residents in Ocean County were forced to flee their homes to escape the fast-moving flames from the Jones Road Wildfire, which ignited early Tuesday morning within the Greenwood Forest Wildlife Management Area near Barnegat Township.

Those terrified residents have since been given the all-clear to return to their homes, but officials have urged people to remain vigilant as wildfire smoke continues to choke communities along the Jersey Shore.

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That smoke poses a health and safety risk, with the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection issuing an Air Quality Action Day on Wednesday, advising older and younger residents to limit strenuous activities and outdoor time. Emergency officials and the American Red Cross teams have been handing out N95 masks at the Barnegat Township Recreation Center.

As winds shift, the concern now turns to the New York City area and other parts of the Northeast as smoke drifts to the north. 

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Health concerns grow as smoke smothers Jersey Shore communities

While the flames from the Jones Road Wildfire no longer pose a significant threat, attention now turns to concerns from wildfire smoke choking communities along the Jersey Shore.

"The biggest difference today is the smoke," FOX Weather Correspondent Katie Byrne said. "We had the winds really dying down as of yesterday, and today the winds have died down even more. So, that smoke is kind of sitting on us here."

On Wednesday, northerly winds were pushing the wildfire smoke south into Atlantic City and surrounding areas. On Thursday, the smoke drifted off to the north into New York City.

The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation issued an Air Quality Health Advisory for the New York City area, Long Island and parts of the Hudson Valley.

"The smoke is thick," Byrne continued. "It’s hard to breathe."

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Jones Road Wildfire could burn for days

At a news conference Wednesday, officials warned that the wildfire is still not fully under control and that it could continue to burn into the upcoming weekend.

They added that there have been no injuries or deaths so far, and no single-family homes have been destroyed. 

However, the blaze scorched at least one commercial structure and several other outbuildings.

Byrne was in Lacey Township on Wednesday and spoke with Mayor Peter Curatolo, who said that a business in town was destroyed.

"This was one of our great businesses, and our industrial park is where it happened," Curatolo said on FOX Weather. "This is really heartbreaking. You can see the devastation. You don’t need me to explain it to you."

The situation could have been far worse, however, as officials said more than 1,300 homes were being threatened by the flames, but the number dwindled to just over a dozen by Wednesday evening.

"It was a dangerous wildfire, moving quickly. It's pretty extreme conditions right now," said New Jersey Division Forest Fire Warden Trevor Raynor. "April 20th is about the peak of spring fire season."

New Jersey Acting Gov. Tahesha Way declared a state of emergency in Ocean County that went into effect Wednesday morning.