New Jersey teen accused of sparking massive wildfire

Police in New Jersey have arrested a 19-year-old man in connection with sparking a massive wildfire that led to evacuations and power outages.

Joseph Kling is accused of starting the Jones Road Wildfire, which has grown to more than 15,000 acres and blanketed parts of the region in smoke.

He was arrested on Wednesday and is currently being held in detention.

Officials have not revealed what led to his arrest. On Thursday, Ocean County Prosecutor Bradley Billhimer said "technical advancements" helped, although he did not provide further details.

Officials said the wildfire began after Mr Kling set wooden pallets on fire in a densely forested area, and then left the area while they were still burning.

Speaking to reporters, Mr Billhimer said he was "very confident" that Mr Kling intentionally set out to spark a wildfire. He added that witness statements have corroborated the allegation.

Mr Kling, who lives in New Jersey, faces up to 10 years in prison if convicted. Mr Billhimer told reporters that the arrest should send a "message" to the community.

"Starting a fire out in the woods when the conditions are dry in the forest could lead to widespread damage, loss of life, loss of property and potentially criminal charges," Mr Billhimer said.

"It's a very dangerous thing, and we were taught as kids not to play with fire, but starting a fire in a forest is such a dangerous thing."

The Jones Road Fire was first spotted by crews on Tuesday, and grew to 15,200 acres Thursday during abnormally dry conditions. Officials said it is poised to possibly become the state's largest wildfire in 20 years.

It remains only 50% contained, officials said, adding that rain forecast for Saturday should help extinguish the blaze.

It is burning through a relatively unpopulated part of the state in the Forked River Mountains area in Ocean County. On Wednesday, officials lifted an evacuation order affecting around 5,000 residents.

No injuries or deaths have been reported. No homes were damaged, although one commercial building and several vehicles were destroyed.

The blaze also sparked air quality alerts across New Jersey, America's most densely populated state, as well as in New York City and Long Island.