The 19-year-old Waretown, Ocean Township man has been arrested and charged with one of New Jersey’s most destructive wildfires in recent history. The suspect, 19-year-old Joseph Kling, is charged with starting the Jones Road Wildfire that has consumed an area of about 15,000 acres, as it started on April 22, 2025, on a clear out-of-sight-of-the-people morning. Authorities say Kling lit a bonfire using wooden pallets in the Greenwood Forest Wildlife Management Area and left the fire unattended. With dry conditions and low humidity in the Pine Barrens region, the fire quickly spread out of control.
Kling has been charged with aggravated arson and arson — serious offenses under New Jersey law. He is currently held in the Ocean County Jail, awaiting a detention hearing. As of April 24, no attorney had been listed for him.
Firefighters have fought the giant blaze from its initial detection at about 9:45 a.m. on Tuesday. The blaze is 50 percent contained at this point. Full containment will hinge on future rain, much-needed.
The conflagration has left its mark. Some 5,000 individuals were evacuated from their residences as wildfires threatened residential areas in Waretown and Lacey Townships. One commercial building and multiple vehicles were destroyed. Power lines had to be shut down temporarily, causing outages that have since been restored.
Roads such as Wells Mills Road and sections of the Garden State Parkway were also shut down at the peak of the emergency.
The smoke from the fire carried far out over the Pine Barrens. By April 24, a hazy sky and poor air were reported in New York City, Long Island, and its surroundings. Advisories were given by health officials to individuals with breathing difficulties, advising them to avoid going outdoors.
“This is not a local disaster—it’s affecting the entire region,”
said one New Jersey Forest Fire Service official.
The Pine Barrens, a wooded region in southern New Jersey, is predisposed to wildfires. The dry nature of its vegetation, coupled with drought and low humidity, provided an ideal setting for the fire to intensify at great speed.
Acting Governor Tahesha Way declared a state of emergency in response to the fire. Governor Phil Murphy was overseas at the time.
Investigators used GPS evidence to trace the fire’s origin to Kling’s bonfire. Prosecutors say this was not an accident. The charges reflect the serious risk the fire posed to people, homes, and protected natural lands.
Kling will also face 5 to 10 years in prison if convicted on an aggravated-arson charge, a New Jersey second-degree crime.
This blaze could develop into its biggest in New Jersey since 2007, when a wildfire consumed more than 17,000 acres. To date in 2025, the state already has had over 660 wildfires, which have, in total, incinerated over 16,500 acres.
Experts indicate that wildfires such as this are on the rise and intensifying in frequency and severity – even in areas not traditionally considered at risk.
“This is another sign that wildfire danger isn’t just a Western U.S. issue anymore,”
said an environmental scientist.
“Regions like New Jersey, with dry forests and increasing heat, are seeing the consequences of changing climate patterns.”
