What Caused The South Jersey Wildfire? What We Know

New update, published Thursday, 9:22 a.m.:

SOUTH JERSEY, NJ — A 19-year-old from Waretown who was burning pallets is accused of igniting the wildfire that's burned through about 15,000 acres of Pinelands in Southern Ocean County, authorities said Thursday morning

Joseph Kling was charged with arson and aggravated arson on April 23 in connection with the Jones Road Wildfire, Ocean County Prosecutor Bradley D. Billhimer, Department of Environmental Protection Commissioner Shawn LaTourette and Township of Ocean Police Chief Michal Rogalski said in a joint release.

A multi-department investigation discovered the cause of the fire to be incendiary by an improperly extinguished bonfire. READ MORE HERE.

Previous story, published Wednesday:

Authorities are looking into the cause of the Jones Road Wildfire after it began Tuesday morning and prompted thousands of evacuations and road closures throughout South Jersey.

As of Wednesday afternoon, the fire is 40% contained and has swelled to 12,500 acres, according to officials. Though the fire has been somewhat controlled, authorities don’t expect full containment until the weekend, as the containment area spans over 15,000 acres.

"We fully expect that we will see, ultimately, when all is said and done, a greater number of acreage affected," NJ Department of Environmental Protection Commissioner Shawn LaTourette told reporters Wednesday afternoon. "And this could very well end up being the largest wildfire New Jersey has seen in 20 years."

When Did The Fire Begin?
The Jones Road Wildfire began in Barnegat on Tuesday before moving north to Waretown and Lacey. After the fire broke out, surrounding roads (including the parkway) were closed, and mandatory evacuations began for those in affected areas.

An estimated 25,000 homes throughout Barnegat, Waretown, Lacey, and Berkeley also lost power the same night after JCP&L cut power in affected areas to keep firefighters safe.

As of Wednesday afternoon, power has been restored to homes and businesses in Barnegat, and both the Garden State Parkway and Route 9 have been reopened in both directions, though visibility is limited for drivers. Evacuation orders have also been lifted.

As a result of the fire, NJ Lt. Governor Tahesha Way declared a State of Emergency in Ocean County on Wednesday.

“Due to (the fire's) accelerated growth... I am declaring a State of Emergency for Ocean County,” Way said in a statement. “I encourage all residents in the county to continue to monitor the proper channels and to use caution and follow all safety protocols.”

Fire Under Investigation, Buildings Damaged
While officials have yet to determine an exact cause for the Jones Road Wildfire, the NJ Forest Fire Service said the cause is under investigation in an update posted on Wednesday.

Ongoing dry conditions and strong winds have contributed to the frequency of wildfires throughout the last few years, according to officials. This fire also falls in peak spring fire season, which started on April 22. Officials consider the peak to be April 20.

“I’m very confident that they will come up with some sort of determination, and once that determination is made, and all their I’s are dotted and their T’s are crossed, we will make that information available," NJ Forest Fire Service Chief Bill Donnelly said.

Trevor Raynor, who works for the NJ Forest Fire Service, said initial attacks on the fire repeatedly failed as the fire kept changing. Hundreds of firetrucks and firefighters from Ocean, Monmouth, Gloucester, Camden and Burlington Counties have come out to help fight the fire since it broke out on Tuesday.

"We aren't out of the woods yet," Raynor said. "We feel good about this, but we're still working toward it."

In their Wednesday update, the NJ Forest Fire Service said 18 structures have been threatened by the fire, with one commercial building destroyed and multiple outbuildings and vehicles destroyed. A complete damage assessment is underway.

According to Lacey Mayor Peter Curatolo, no homes have been lost in the fire, though a single-family home was damaged and a business was destroyed in Lacey.

NJ’s Forest Fire History
While the Jones Road Wildfire is on track to be among the state’s largest in 20 years, it’s certainly not the first wildfire in state history.

In May 2007, the Warren Grove Wildfire consumed 15,550 acres of forest in Stafford and Barnegat and prompted the evacuation of around 6,000 people in affected areas. The fire destroyed five homes and damaged 50 others.

The fire is one of the top 10 largest in NJ history, according to a 2019 report on forest fire mitigation from the NJ Office of Emergency Management.

In addition to the Warren Grove Wildfire, a 3,800-acre wildfire also spread throughout Manchester in March 2023. The fire prompted over 100 homes to be evacuated through Manchester and Lakehurst.

Previous Coverage

• 3,000 People Evacuated As Massive Wildfire Burns Southern Ocean
• South Jersey Wildfire Swells To 12K Acres
• State Of Emergency Declared For NJ Wildfire
• 12K Acre Wildfire Could Grow To NJ's Largest In 20 Years, Officials Say
• Power Restored To Barnegat As Jones Road Wildfire Rages On
• NJ's Forest Fire History: A Look At State's Largest Blazes