Man charged with arson after authorities say he sparked New Jersey Pine
Barrens fire
[April 25, 2025]
By MIKE CATALINI
A man set a bonfire using wooden pallets in New Jersey's Pine Barrens
and left them without fully extinguishing the blaze, sparking a
quick-moving wildfire with smoke affecting air quality in the New York
City area, authorities said Thursday.
Authorities arrested Joseph Kling, 19, of Waretown, New Jersey, and
charged him with arson and aggravated arson in the fire that's still
burning in southern New Jersey. The wildfire was described as starting
with “an improperly extinguished bonfire.”
Judge James Gluck told Kling during a brief court appearance Thursday
the state sought to have him detained pending trial and he wouldn't be
released. Kling spoke briefly, only to clarify that his next court
appearance was set for Tuesday. “Thank you. Have a good day,” he said
when the judge dismissed him.
A public defender representing Kling during the hearing told the judge
she had “nothing further” when he asked.
Emails from the public defender's office said Thursday it could not
comment on a pending case so early in the process. A voice message was
left at a possible phone number for Kling.
Authorities first spotted the blaze Tuesday morning from a fire tower
when a smoke column appeared amid the pines. Law enforcement said they
used a GPS to plot the origin of the fire and determined the cause was a
bonfire that hadn't been put out.
Speaking Thursday afternoon at a news conference, Ocean County
Prosecutor Bradley D. Billhimer said “we can confidently say that we
think the fire was set intentionally.” He declined further comment on
why authorities believe Kling was responsible and other matters related
to the investigation since it remains ongoing.
It's peak forest fire season in the vast pine wilderness that covers
more than 1 million acres (405,000 hectares) — an area roughly as large
as the Grand Canyon — and firefighters are contending with low humidity
and the aftermath of a monthslong drought in the region.
Though large tracts of the Pine Barrens are uninhabited, New Jersey is
the nation's most densely populated state and officials have warned the
fire could threaten developments nearby. The fire had grown to more than
23.8 square miles (61.6 square kilometers) on Thursday, approaching what
officials believe to have been the largest wildfire in the state in the
last two decades.
Authorities had said there were no injuries or deaths in the fire, but a
commercial building and some vehicles were destroyed. About 5,000 people
had been evacuated but were permitted to return home on Wednesday,
officials said.
“This is still a very active fire,” LaTourette said Wednesday. “As we
continue to get this under full control the expectation is that the
number of acres will grow and will grow in a place that is unpopulated.”
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Smoke fills the air from a wildfire in Ocean County, N.J. on
Thursday, April 24, 2025. (WPVI-TV via AP)
Jim and Lenore Thoms, who own a business in an industrial park near
the blaze, called the fire “a very scary experience” and praised the
efforts of firefighters.
“The firefighters were phenomenal, they saved this whole park.” Jim
Thoms said. “If they weren’t around, the way things were going on,
you might not have seen any buildings at all.”
The effects of the fire are beginning to be seen beyond the state.
Higher-than-normal pollution levels were forecast Thursday in New
York City, Rockland and Westchester counties, and in Long Island’s
Nassau and Suffolk counties, the New York State Department of
Environmental Conservation said. The fire is roughly 54 miles (87
kilometers) south of New York City.
It said “going indoors may reduce exposure” to problems such as eye,
nose and throat irritation, coughing, sneezing and shortness of
breath.
In New York, dry conditions across the state are resulting in a high
fire danger rating in several regions including New York City, Long
Island, the Hudson Valley, Capital Region, and portions of the North
Country, according to the advisory. The rest of the state is at a
moderate or low level of fire danger.
Officials said the fire is believed to be the second-worst in recent
years, smaller only than a 2007 blaze that burned 26 square miles
(67 square kilometers).
Acting New Jersey Gov. Tahesha Way declared a state of emergency
Wednesday, and officials said Thursday that they’ve contained about
50% of the wildfire. Gov. Phil Murphy is on an official visit in
Poland for a Holocaust memorial. He's due to fly back home Friday.
Video released by the state agency overseeing the fire service
showed billowing white and black clouds of smoke, intense flames
engulfing pines and firefighters dousing a charred structure.
The Pine Barrens sit between Philadelphia to the west and the
Atlantic coast to the east. In the region with quick-draining sandy
soil and trees with still-developing leaves, humidity remains low
and winds can kick up, drying out the forest floor.
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Bruce Shipkowski in Chatsworth, New Jersey; Hallie Golden in Seattle
and Kathy McCormack in Concord, New Hampshire, contributed to this
report.
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