Arson blamed for massive New Jersey wildfire, smoke causes air quality alerts for millions
A 19-year-old man has been charged with arson in connection with the massive Jones Road Wildfire, which has forced evacuations, and sent smoke pouring into New York City—triggering air quality alerts for millions.
The Jones Road Wildfire is more than 50% contained, and forecasters say rain coming this weekend could help firefighters out even more.
A 19-year-old Ocean County man has been charged with aggravated arson in connection with the massive Jones Road Wildfire, the New Jersey Forest Fire Service revealed Thursday morning.
Officials say Joseph Kling, of Ocean Township (Waretown), ignited a bonfire using wooden pallets on Tuesday morning—then left the area without fully extinguishing the flames. Investigators used GPS mapping to trace the wildfire’s origin.
The fire, one of the biggest the state has seen in decades, quickly spread through dry brush in the Forked River Mountains Wilderness Area, ultimately destroying a commercial building and forcing thousands of residents to evacuate. Evacuation orders have since been lifted as the fire moved away from densely populated areas. Additionally, after briefly closing on Monday evening, the Garden State Parkway was reopened.
Firefighters are steadily containing the Jones Road Fire in New Jersey, but smoke from the massive fire could stretch into New York City in the days ahead.
As of Friday morning, the Jones Road Wildfire had scorched more than 15,000 acres and remained 50% contained. Thick smoke continues to blanket Jersey Shore communities, prompting officials to urge residents to stay indoors as much as possible.
Acting New Jersey Gov. Tahesha Way declared a state of emergency in New Jersey in response to the fire. A news release from the governor's office said the state of emergency went into effect at 7 a.m. Wednesday. Declaring a state of emergency helps the state allocate resources to battle the blaze.
Also on Wednesday, power was restored to all 25,000 customers in southern Ocean County who had lost service as a result of the wildfire.
The Jones Road Fire is a harbinger of what's ahead as wildfire season in the United States could 'rapidly escalate' amid building heat, drought.
The annual AccuWeather U.S. wildfire forecast was released Wednesday and AccuWeather forecasters say fires could burn more than 7 million acres in 2025 as the nation faces a volatile year for wildfires, including areas devastated by Hurricane Helene last September.
New Jersey wildfire smoke clouds New York City skies, triggers air quality alerts
Thick smoke drifting north from a fast-growing wildfire in New Jersey reached New York City early Thursday, turning skies hazy and prompting air quality alerts for millions across the region.
New York state's departments of Environmental Conservation and Health have issued Air Quality Health Advisories for New York City, Westchester County, Rockland County and Long Island.
The sun rises over a smoky New York City on April 24, 2025. (Earthcam)
The smoke cast an orange tint over the Staten Island sunrise—a visual reminder of the fire’s reach well beyond state lines.
Officials continue to monitor conditions as crews work to contain the blaze and winds steer the smoke across parts of the tri-state area.
On Wednesday, northerly winds were pushing wildfire smoke south into Atlantic City and surrounding Jersey Shore areas, but AccuWeather Senior Meteorologist Heather Zehr said winds switched directions early Thursday. "The wind will be more out of the south and southeast today which can carry some of that in New York City's direction."
That wind has brought haze to the tri-state area but not a big reduction in visibility. Zehr said the bigger concern is lowered air quality which can cause problems for sensitive groups. "These people should limit outdoor strenuous activity today. Air Quality Alerts are in effect until midnight tonight. The good news is that the fire containment should grow today, and with light winds, it will be tough to bring in much smoke."
Katherine Pruitt of the American Lung Association joins AccuWeather to share this year’s report in regards to how air quality and pollution levels affect people’s respiratory health.
You can check the air quality in your area anytime—for free—on the Accuweather app.
AccuWeather air pollution forecast models have been enhanced to provide you with superior accuracy -- before, during and after wildfires -- to help keep your family, friends and your business better prepared and informed:
NYC AccuWeather Air Quality Forecast Page
Click here to see the smoke forecast map for NYC.
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