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EVESHAM, NJ — A teenager has been arrested and charged in connection with a wildfire that burned 52 acres near Sycamore Drive and the Berlin County border on October 30, 2024, police said.

The Evesham Police Department, along with the Evesham Fire Department and the New Jersey Forest Fire Service, responded to the fire around 1 p.m. According to officials, the fire was brought under control a few days later without causing any structural damage.

An investigation into the cause and origin of the fire by the Evesham Police Department Bureau of Investigation, Evesham Fire Department, and Forest Fire Department determined that the fire was intentionally set. Evidence led investigators to identify a juvenile suspect who was arrested without incident on Nov. 7.

The teenager faced aggravated arson and risk of causing or risking widespread injury or damage. He is currently being held at the Middlesex Juvenile Detention Center awaiting his first court appearance.

Authorities are now investigating whether a second fire in the same area of ​​Sycamore Drive on Nov. 7 is linked to the Oct. 30 incident. The Nov. 7 fire covered 375 acres but did not cause any structural damage like the previous fire. It was extinguished several days later by the Evesham Fire Department and the New Jersey Forest Fire Department.

Further updates on the ongoing investigation are expected as authorities work to determine whether the two fires are related.