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Arsonist Charged With Starting Bergen County Brush Fire During Critical Time

A 27-year-old man has been arrested on accusations he started a brush fire over the weekend while the state was under a Stage 3 fire restriction in Lyndhurst, police said.

Jose Concepcion.

Jose Concepcion.

Photo Credit: Lyndhurst PD

Officers were called to the 600 block of Fourth Street on reports of a small brush fire around 4:30 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 25, Lyndhurst Police Detective Lt. Vincent Auteri said.

The fire had already been extinguished by a local resident, but a witness said he saw a man start the blaze before walking away, Auteri said.

The witness provided a detailed description of the suspect, whom responding officers were able to quickly identify as Jose Concepcion.

Officers went to Concepcion’s home, located near the fire, police said.

Concepcion was placed under arrest and charged with arson and failure to report the fire. 

After being charged, Concepcion was taken to a local hospital for an examination. The cause of the small fire is unknown.

The entire state of New Jersey remains under Stage 3 fire restrictions due to an increased risk of wildfires. Firefighters across New Jersey have been battling multiple fires in the last two weeks, including a 77-acre wildfire in Morris County and a 192-acre fire in Essex County.

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