A man was charged with arson in connection with a forest fire in Jackson Township It erupted Wednesday and burned 800 acres, the Ocean County Prosecutor’s Office said.
Prosecutors identified the 37-year-old Saturday evening as Richard Shashaty of Brick Township. Shashaty was charged with arson and firearms violations in connection with the Jackson Township wildfire, dubbed the Shotgun Wildfire by the New Jersey Forest Fire Service, according to a news release from the Ocean County Prosecutor’s Office.
Several law enforcement agencies investigated the fire, including the New Jersey State Fire Marshal’s Office, the New Jersey State Police Office of Emergency Management and the New Jersey Fish and Wildlife.
Prosecutors say the investigation began after Jackson Township police and fire officials, along with the New Jersey Forest Fire Service, were dispatched to the Central Jersey Rifle Range on Stump Tavern Road around 12:15 a.m. Wednesday for a report of a wildfire.
Through the multi-agency investigation, authorities determined that the fire started behind a berm on the southwest corner of the gun club. The fire was ignited by magnesium fragments from a Dragons Breath 12 gauge shotgun, which detonated flammable materials on the edge of the shooting range, prosecutors say.
Prosecutors say firing these types of tracer or incendiary munitions is prohibited in New Jersey.
Investigators linked Shashaty to the incident and found that he was allegedly responsible for firing the ammunition and starting the fire.
The 37-year-old turned himself in to Jackson Township police later Saturday. He is currently being held in the Ocean County Jail pending a detention hearing, according to the release.
Fire officials said in an update Friday evening that 350 acres had burned and the fire was 90% contained. On Wednesday evening, hours after the fire broke out, NJFFS officials said 25 buildings had been threatened and 15 homes had been evacuated for hours.
