A New Jersey man charged with starting the wildfire that tore through the eastern part of the state last month claimed that he shouldn’t be blamed because more than a dozen others present at the time also failed to extinguish the flames.
Joseph Kling, 19, was charged with aggravated arson and arson on April 23 for the out-of-control wildfire that tore through southern Ocean County, the Ocean County Prosecutor’s Office said. The fire destroyed around 15,300 acres and was only declared 100% contained on May 12.
On April 21, Kling allegedly set a pile of wooden pallets on fire and left without putting it out.
Kling told NBC Philadelphia that he had to leave early to take his friend to the hospital after a gnarly dirt bike crash, but noted that there were still about 16 other people there when he departed.
“There were other people there, and I tried,” Kling insisted to the outlet.
“I kicked dirt on it and everything. I had the flame almost out, and other people were there.”
So far, only Kling and an unidentified 17-year-old have been charged in connection with the Jones Road wildfire. The younger teen faces the same charges as Kling, including a hindering apprehension charge that was tacked on after the two allegedly lied to police and tried to pin the blame on Mexicans, prosecutors said.
The fire reportedly started in an isolated area within the Ocean County Natural Lands Trust’s Forked River Mountains Wilderness Area. It forced thousands to flee and was one of the largest wildfires recorded in the Garden State in recent years.
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