Meet Joseph Kling, the Man Accused of Sparking the Massive New Jersey Wildfires
Joseph is currently being held with no bail.
Published April 25 2025, 9:23 a.m. ET
If the name Joseph Kling has been popping up in your feed or daily news app lately, you’re probably wondering who this guy is — and why his name is everywhere.
Similar to Luigi Mangione and Phoenix Ikner — who weren’t widely known until they committed heinous crimes — Kling is now facing serious allegations of his own. Fortunately, unlike those cases, his actions didn’t result in anyone’s death, but they easily could have.
Kling is being tied to a fire outbreak in New Jersey, so needless to say, he’s in a heap of trouble. Here’s everything to know about him and the massive fire he’s accused of starting in N.J.
Who is Joseph Kling?
Footage of the wildfire Joseph Kling is being charged for starting
Joseph Kling is a 19-year-old from Ocean Township (Waretown), N.J., who’s facing aggravated arson charges in connection with a wildfire that broke out in Waretown on April 22, 2025, according to a press release from the Ocean County Prosecutor's Office.
Aggravated arson is a serious offense in New Jersey, classified as a second-degree crime under N.J.S. 2C:17-1, and carries a penalty of up to 10 years in prison and fines of up to $150,000.
The fire began in Waretown and quickly spread through the Southern Ocean County area. Around 9:45 a.m., the Cedar Bridge Fire Tower spotted a column of smoke, prompting emergency personnel to respond. Authorities later determined the fire had been sparked by "an improperly extinguished bonfire," which Kling has since been connected to.
By April 24, it had scorched roughly 15,000 acres across Waretown and Lacey Townships and even destroyed a commercial building. Fortunately, no injuries or deaths were reported.
So, how did Joseph Kling start the wildfires in New Jersey?
According to the Ocean County Prosecutor's Office, Kling set fire to wooden pallets and then left the area without ensuring they had been "fully extinguished." Once officials connected him to the fire, they located him and took him into custody at Ocean Township Police Headquarters.
He was then transported to Ocean County Jail, where he is awaiting a hearing. According to his booking information, Joseph is a high school graduate who stands 5 feet 7 inches tall and is currently single. As of now, he has not been offered bail.
Photos of the damage caused by Kling's alleged negligence have been making the rounds online, including one showing debris from a warehouse destroyed in Forked River. The New Jersey Forest Fire Service has also been keeping residents updated on X (formerly Twitter).
In addition to destroying the commercial building, the fire Kling allegedly started took out multiple outbuildings and vehicles. While evacuation orders were initially in place, they were fully lifted just before 11 a.m. on April 24, though eight structures remained under threat. That same update noted the fire was only 50 percent contained, meaning the estimated 15,000 acres of damage could still increase.
Given the scale of the fire and extent of the damage, if Kling is found guilty, he could face penalties on the higher end of the range mentioned above.