A second arrest has been made in the aftermath of the devastating Jones Road wildfire in Ocean County, New Jersey which destroyed over 15,000 acres throughout Waretown and Lacey Townships.
On Friday, Ocean County Prosecutor Bradley D. Billhimer announced that a 17 year-old had been arrested and charged with Aggravated Arson, Arson, and Hindering Apprehension. A 19-year-old named Joseph Kling of Waretown was already facing charges (Aggravated Arson and Arson), and Billhimer is now adding Hindering Apprehension to his list of charges.
“A thorough and extensive investigation conducted by the Ocean County Prosecutor’s Office Major Crime Unit-Arson Squad, New Jersey Forest Fire Service, Ocean County Fire Marshal’s Office, and New Jersey State Fire Marshal’s Office, plotted the origin of the fire via Global Positioning System (GPS). The cause of the fire was determined to be incendiary by an improperly extinguished bonfire,” the prosecutor’s office press release explained.
“Further investigation revealed that Kling was the individual responsible for setting wooden pallets on fire – and then leaving the area without the fire being fully extinguished. On April 23, 2025, Kling was charged with Aggravated Arson and Arson. He was taken into custody at Ocean Township (Waretown) Police Headquarters; he was thereafter transported to the Ocean County Jail, where he is presently lodged pending a detention hearing,” the release continued. “Continuing investigation has revealed that the juvenile assisted in setting the wooden pallets on fire and also left the area without the fire being fully extinguished. It was also determined that the juvenile gave misinformation to law enforcement about how the fire started.”
Kling also now stands accused of providing false information to law enforcement who were investigating the fire.
Click here to view the full press release.
