A New Jersey man was arrested in connection with sparking the 15,250-acre fire that has burned for several days in Ocean County, just miles from the Jersey Shore. Joseph Kling, 19, of Waretown, has been charged with arson and aggravated arson,

WARETOWN ― One of the worst wildfires in southern Ocean County history has more than doubled in size, scorching 8,500 acres, forcing the evacuation of some 3,000 people, and threatening 1,320 homes and buildings, officials said.

A 19-year-old Waretown man has been arrested and charged with aggravated arson in connection with the so-named Jones Road fire in Ocean County that consumed more than 15,000 acres of woodlands, authorities said.