Yeah that's a puzzle, all right

A massive wildfire that has already burned thousands of acres in the Pinelands and forced the evacuation of residents in two towns likely started this afternoon when an F-16 fighter jet dropped flares as part of a maneuver over a gunnery range, New Jersey National Guard officials said tonight....

National Guard officials said they were investigating how the flare, which in combat would cause a heat-seeking missile to miss an aircraft, was able to set off the blaze.

Link: Flare from fighter jet blamed for Pinelands fire - NJ.com: Star-Ledger updates