A 19-year-old from Ocean Township, New Jersey, has been charged in connection with the Jones Road Wildfire, which burned roughly 15,000 acres, destroyed a commercial building, and forced about 5,000 people to evacuate. Joseph Kling was arrested and charged with aggravated arson and arson, the Ocean County Prosecutor’s Office said Thursday.

Prosecutors allege Kling set wooden pallets on fire and left without making sure the flames were fully extinguished. The wildfire erupted Tuesday in Waretown and quickly spread through southern Ocean County, threatening eight structures. As of Thursday morning, it was 50% contained, with no deaths or loss of homes reported.

Crews at the Cedar Bridge Fire Tower first spotted smoke near Jones and Bryant Roads around 10 a.m. Tuesday. Emergency personnel located an active fire in the Forked River Mountains Wilderness Area, which is part of the Ocean County Natural Lands Trust. The fire was later determined to be incendiary, sparked by an improperly extinguished bonfire, according to a statement from the prosecutor’s office.

Kling remains in custody at the Ocean County jail, awaiting a detention hearing. The New Jersey Forest Fire Service said in an update Thursday that the fire had consumed about 15,000 acres across Ocean and Lacey Townships. Though evacuations have since been lifted, fire officials warn that the fire is expected to burn for several more days.

On Wednesday, acting New Jersey Gov. Tahesha Way declared a state of emergency. Environmental Protection Commissioner Shawn M. LaTourette noted the wildfire could become the largest in the state in 20 years.

“Thanks to the incredible, heroic work of the good men and women of our New Jersey Forest Fire Service, folks’ homes and lives have been saved and we’ve truly averted a major disaster,” LaTourette said Wednesday. “Now, this wildfire is not under full and complete control. We still have a lot of work to do to achieve complete containment of the wildfire.”