Shotgun Round Determined as Cause of New Jersey Wildfire

Officials have charged a man they say started a fire in New Jersey with sparks created by spent shotgun rounds. The blaze ravaged through 350 acres last week, with smoke from the fire creating a haze over New York City and much of the tri-state region. Richard Shashaty, 37, of Brick Township, New Jersey, was charged with arson and firearms-related violations in connection to the Jackson Township blaze, now dubbed the “Shotgun Fire.” In a joint press release, multiple New Jersey agencies, including the Ocean County Prosecutor’s Office, said that the fire was caused by “magnesium shards of a Dragons Breath 12 gauge shotgun round igniting available combustibles on the berm of the shooting range.” The firing of this type of ammunition is illegal in the state, according to the prosecutor’s office. On Saturday, Shashaty, accompanied by his attorney, turned himself in. The release said he was then transported to Ocean County Jail, where he is waiting for a detention hearing. The Shotgun Fire evacuated 15 homes and threatened 25 houses on Wednesday. As of Friday, the fire was 90% contained.