WARETOWN – A fire that destroyed the Buy Rite Liquors on Route 9 in Ocean Township was ruled accidental after an investigation.
Al Della Fave, spokesman for the Ocean County Prosecutor’s Office, said that investigators searched the remains of the store, and watched recovered security camera footage. The investigators determined that the cause of the fire was accidental and could not rule out improperly discarded smoking material.
The fire began on the outside of the building, along the east wall, just south of the entrance, he said.
Multiple emergency units arrived to the fire at around 11:30 p.m. Sunday night. No one was injured.
The fire was investigated by Ocean Township Police, the Ocean County Fire Marshal, the New Jersey State Fire Marshal, and the Ocean County Prosecutor’s Office Arson Unit.
The liquor store had previously been a church until it was sold in 2010.
