Firefighters in New Jersey made progress against a blaze that threatened to become the state’s largest in 18 years, while officials charged a man with arson in connection with the incident.
The wildfire in Ocean County, about 90 miles south of New York City, spread across 21 square miles (54 square kilometers)—nearly the size of Manhattan—by Thursday morning. The blaze was 50% contained along its perimeter.
Investigators determined that the fire was caused by an improperly extinguished bonfire, Ocean County Prosecutor Bradley Billhimer and New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection Commissioner Shawn LaTourette said Thursday