A 14-year-old boy from Marlton, New Jersey, was arrested last week for allegedly starting a wildfire that scorched 52 acres in a suspected arson case, local authorities reported. The fire, which began on October 30 near Sycamore Drive and close to the Berlin Township line, blazed through the area for several days, prompting an investigation to determine if the teen was also involved in a separate, larger fire, according to Evesham police on Wednesday.
The joint efforts of Evesham police, the New Jersey Forest Fire Service, and local firefighters successfully contained the fire before any buildings were affected, the authorities stated. During the probe, investigators reportedly uncovered evidence indicating the fire had been deliberately set, which ultimately led to the teen’s identification as a suspect.
After being taken into custody on November 7 without resistance, the teen was charged with aggravated arson and endangering public safety, officials confirmed. He is being held at the Middlesex Juvenile Detention Center, awaiting his initial court appearance.
The police are also examining whether this incident is linked to another fire in the same vicinity, which erupted on the day of the teen’s arrest and charred approximately 375 acres before firefighters managed to control it after several days. The recent spate of forest fires across New Jersey and neighboring states has been fueled by prolonged dry weather and high winds, creating a perfect storm for these blazes.
An 18-year-old parks employee from New York lost his life while battling a separate wildfire that spread across both New York and New Jersey. Additionally, as fire danger escalates across the region, five states — New York, New Jersey, Connecticut, Rhode Island, and Massachusetts — remain under heightened fire warnings.
In New York City, the National Weather Service has issued a “Red Flag Warning,” alerting residents to an increased risk of brushfires. Meanwhile, firefighters in New York and New Jersey are facing one of the largest wildfires of the season, with flames consuming over 7,000 acres near the eastern edge of Greenwood Lake. Known as the Jennings Creek fire, the blaze is only about 30% contained as of Wednesday.
The latest outbreak, a brushfire that ignited in Manhattan’s Inwood Hill Park, sent thick plumes of smoke into the sky, visibly affecting the city’s skyline on Wednesday afternoon.
