NJ teen charged with intentionally starting 52-acre wildfire, may be linked to another

A 14-year-old from New Jersey has been arrested and charged with arson for allegedly setting a fire that burned 52 acres of land and threatened homes in Evesham, police announced Wednesday.

Fire officials are also investigating a possible link between that fire, which occurred on Oct. 30 and took days to extinguish, and another much larger fire in the same area that began on Nov. 7, the day the teen was arrested, Evesham Township Police said.

The teen, from Marlton, N.J., was charged with second-degree aggravated arson as well as causing or risking widespread injury or damage.

The youth’s name was not released due to his age. He was being held at Middlesex Juvenile Detention Center pending his first court appearance.

At its height, the earlier wildfire threatened 15 homes in Evesham Township, firefighters told the Marlton-Evesham Daily Voice. No evacuations were necessary.

Police investigated, determined the cause was arson, and tracked down the juvenile “as the subject who intentionally started this fire,” their statement said.

The second blaze, dubbed the Bethany Run Wildfire, ultimately consumed 375 acres across Evesham and Voorhees townships, and threatened more than 100 structures, according to fire officials. Evacuation orders were issued the morning of Nov. 7 but lifted by 6:30 p.m. that day.

New Jersey, beset by numerous wildfires burning across the state, declared a drought warning Wednesday amid dropping water levels. Over the weekend, smoke from the fires drifted across the Hudson River to make for hazy conditions in New York City, prompting city officials to issue an air quality health advisory through Sunday.