Trail cameras installed by a group of volunteers documented the first mountain lion back in the area March 26. It was seen again as recently as two nights ago.
Joseph Kling of Ocean Township is accused of setting wooden pallets on fire and then leaving the area without ensuring that the flames were fully extinguished, prosecutors said.
The Jones Road Wildfire started in the Greenwood Forest Wildlife Management area in Ocean County on Tuesday and exploded to 13,250 acres, the Forest Fire Service said.
No deaths or injuries have been reported, but the state forest fire service said 1,320 structures were threatened. The fire grew to over 8,000 acres by Tuesday night.
Two 18-year-olds, a 19-year-old and a juvenile were charged with a misdemeanor count in connection with the start of the fire, which has burned more than 13,000 acres.
The National Weather Service has issued a high wind warning for Monday, with gusts up to 65 mph forecast for parts of central California that could cause further fire spread.
The wildfires, which have killed 28 people and razed vast swaths of land in the southeast in the last week, were 85% contained as of Friday morning, the Korea Forest Service said.