The fire has prompted air quality alerts for the New York City metro area.
Authorities have charged a man with arson for allegedly sparking a large fire currently ongoing in the New Jersey Pine Barrens area that sparked
air quality alerts for New York City and nearby areas.
The Ocean County Prosecutor’s Office on Thursday
announced the arrest of 19-year-old Joseph Kling from Waretown, New Jersey, and charged him with arson and aggravated arson in the fire that’s still burning in southern New Jersey, which they described as having started from “an improperly extinguished bonfire.”
There were no injuries or deaths in the fire, but a commercial building and some vehicles were destroyed, officials said. About 5,000 people had been evacuated but were permitted to return home on Wednesday, officials said.
“The cause of the fire was determined to be incendiary by an improperly extinguished bonfire,” the office said, adding that Kling was later identified as an individual who set wood pallets on fire and left the area before it was fully extinguished.
Other details about the incident were not provided. It’s not clear whether Kling has an attorney.
As of April 24, the fire has burned around 15,000 acres in Waretown and Lacey townships, and it has destroyed a commercial building, the prosecutor’s office said. About 5,000 people had been evacuated but were permitted to return home on Wednesday.
The Ocean County Sheriff’s Office in New Jersey also cautioned early Thursday about air quality, saying “smoke will continue to permeate the area.” It said emergency personnel will be on site for the next few days.
In New York City, Long Island, and nearby counties, air quality advisories were
issued by the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation. For Long Island and the New York City metropolitan area, the air may be “unhealthy for sensitive groups” due to “fine particles” in the air, the office said. The National Weather Service also
issued an air quality advisory on Thursday.
Officials have said that the Pine Barrens fire is believed to be one of the worst in the past two decades, second only to a 2007 blaze that burned 26 square miles.
Acting New Jersey Gov. Tahesha Way, who
declared a state of emergency on Wednesday due to fires, said she encourages “all residents in [Ocean County] to continue to monitor the proper channels, and to use caution and follow all safety protocols.”
The Pine Barrens area is located between Philadelphia to the west and the Atlantic coast to the east. The region, with its quick-draining sandy soil, is considered to be in peak forest fire season. The trees are still developing leaves, humidity remains low, and winds can kick up, drying out the forest floor.
The U.S. Drought Monitor website
shows that as of Thursday, areas in southern New Jersey are considered to be in the midst of a drought or are reported to be “abnormally dry” for the season. Portions of southern New York state, including the lower Hudson Valley and New York City areas, are also considered to be in a drought or are seeing abnormally dry conditions, according to the
site.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
