A 19-year-old man has been arrested on suspicion of starting a massive New Jersey wildfire that has consumed 13,000 acres continued to burn Thursday, authorities said.
In a statement released Thursday morning, New Jersey officials including Ocean County Prosecutor Bradley D. Billhimer, announced the arrest of Joseph Kling of Waretown, New Jersey, on charges of aggravated arson and arson in connection with the wildfire that started Tuesday morning.
The fire was first spotted about 9:45 a.m. on Tuesday in the Greenwood Wildlife Management area near Waretown, New Jersey, officials said.
Officials said investigators tracked the origin of the fire to Watertown.
“Further investigation has revealed that Kling was the individual responsible for setting wooden pallets on fire — and then leaving the area without the fire being fully extinguished,” officials said in the statement.
Kling was taken into custody at Ocean Township Police Headquarters in Watertown, officials said.
