Blaze Burns Portion of Durand Park

A brush fire that torched a portion of a township park Tuesday was accidentally started by a passing teen, police said Wednesday.

East Freehold Fire Company and New Jersey Forest Fire Service were called to Durand Park in around 5:47 p.m. for a report of a brush fire, Freehold Townsip Police Sgt. Jerry Kiwit said. 

The blaze burned about a half acre of the park before firefighters were able to extinguish the blaze, Kiwit said.

A 15-year-old boy was walking in the area of 224 Randolph Rd. when he found a working lighter alongside the road, Kiwit said.

While using the lighter, the boy accidentally started the fire. Realizing it was out of control, the boy tried to alert someone fishing in the nearby lake for help. The boy then called 9-1-1, Kiwit said.

The boy, whose name is not being released because of his age, was taken into police custody and later released to a parent, Kiwit said. No charges were filed, he said.