2nd Teen Nabbed, Charged Over Jersey Wildfire

A second teenager has been charged over the Jones Road Wildfire in New Jersey, which scorched thousands of acres of land and spurred the evacuation of thousands. According to the Ocean County Prosecutor's Office, the unidentified boy, 17, was taken into custody on Thursday and charged with aggravated arson, arson, and hindering apprehension, reports NBC News. The other teen in the case, 19-year-old Joseph Kling, was arrested last week.

Prosecutors say that Kling and the 17-year-old torched wooden pallets in Waretown, then left the area without putting those fires out. The resulting inferno tore through more than 15,000 acres in Waretown and Lacey Township, destroying a commercial building. The fire was about 80% extinguished as of Thursday, says a rep for the state's Department of Environmental Protection.

The Shore News Network notes that multiple agencies have been involved in the probe, including police departments in the two affected towns, the New Jersey National Guard, and the county and state fire marshal offices. Kling, meanwhile, who has since had hindering apprehension added on to his arson charges for allegedly giving authorities false info about the fire, was set to appear in court on Friday afternoon. (More wildfires stories.)