Joseph Kling, 19, of Ocean Township, is facing aggravated arson and arson charges in connection with the wildfire that started on Tuesday and continues to spread throughout parts of Ocean County, according to the county prosecutor's office.
Prosecutors said there's no attorney listed for him.
Investigators say they were able to pinpoint the origin of the fire by using GPS. Kling is accused of "starting the fire with the purpose of destroying or damaging" the forest, according to a criminal complaint.
"We are confident that Joseph Kling started the fire," said Ocean County Prosecutor Bradley Billhimer during a press conference.
The complaint says he allegedly started a bonfire off Jones Road and left it unattended, which spread into the wildfire.
He was taken into custody at the Ocean Township (Waretown) Police Headquarters and has since been taken to the Ocean County Jail, where he is waiting for a detention hearing.
As of Thursday, officials say the fire has burned approximately 15,200 acres and has destroyed a commercial building. It was 50% contained.
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 square miles (60 square kilometers) on Thursday.
Acting New Jersey Governor Tahesha Way declared a State of Emergency in response to the blaze.
Officials said this could end up being the largest wildfire in New Jersey in 20 years.
Four structures are threatened, officials said in a 5 p.m. update.
The Jones Road Wildfire was detected by the Cedar Bridge Fire Tower around 9:45 a.m. on Tuesday at the Greenwood Forest Wildlife Management Area in Barnegat Township. By the evening, the flames spread into both Ocean and Lacey townships in the county.
According to the New Jersey Forest Fire Service, 5,000 residents were forced to evacuate Tuesday night. All evacuation orders have since been lifted.
NJ Wildfire updates: All evacuation orders lifted; Garden State Parkway, Rt. 9 reopened in Ocean Co.
The blaze also forced power outages after Jersey Central Power & Light de-energized all lines in and out of our Oyster Creek substation at the request of the Forest Fire Service. However, 5 p.m. Wednesday, that power has been restored to all customers.
All roads in the area have since reopened, with the exception of "unimproved roadways" within the fire perimeter remain closed, the Forest Fire Service says.
Crews battling raging wildfire in Ocean County
So far in 2025, New Jersey is at 662 wildfires with 16,572 acres burned.
The blaze is the second major forest fire in the region in less than a week. The Vineland Wildfire in Cumberland County stands at 1,327 acres burned and is 80% contained, fire officials said during Wednesday's 11 a.m. update