19-year-old charged with arson after bonfire sparks massive N.J. wildfire

[Wicked Blue]

Source: NJ.com

A man who authorities say didn’t properly extinguish a bonfire has been charged with starting a wildfire in Ocean County that has burned more than 15,000 acres.

Joseph W. Kling, 19, of the Waretown section of Ocean Township is charged with aggravated arson and arson, the Ocean County Prosecutor’s Office said Thursday.

Investigators used Global Positioning System (GPS) to determine exactly where the fire started and later learned Kling set pallets on fire and left without fully extinguishing them.

The fire broke out about 9:45 a.m. Tuesday in the Ocean County Natural Lands Trust’s Forked River Mountains Wilderness Area east of Jones Road and had grown to about 15,000. It is 50% contained.

Read more: https://www.nj.com/ocean/2025/04/19-year-old-charged-with-arson-after-bonfire-sparks-massive-nj-wildfire.html

[Jacson6]

1. We had a guy start a wild fire with a camp fire here. He was sent a $84k bill and one year in prison.

Always put the fire out completely.

[nitpicked]

2. Link to AP

https://apnews.com/article/new-jersey-wildfire-smoke-ny-air-quality-67b146ae19bef2cb111d7efc3d0b563d

[FailureToCommunicate]

3. Glad they caught the arsonist. FAFO

[Wicked Blue]

4. It's been abnormally dry in this area for months.

I find it hard to believe this guy was so out-of-it that he couldn't tell the piney woods are like tinder right now. Late April is peak fire season.

[twodogsbarking]

5. All people are created equal, individually though it is a total crap shoot.

[maxsolomon]

6. Teenage males excel at cluelessness.

Or he was a firebug and did it on purpose.