BERKELEY – Authorities have announced that a house fire, which killed a 59-year-old man, has been determined to be accidental in nature.
The blaze occurred May 10 around 1:30 p.m., with multiple fire companies responding to a home on Tortola Street in Berkeley Township.
While suppressing the flames, first responders found the victim on the floor in the home. He was quickly brought to RWJ Community Medical Center in Toms River where he later succumbed to his injuries, officials said.
Through investigation, authorities discovered that the fire originated on a recliner in the living room of the home, and was caused accidentally due to smoking materials.
Ocean County Prosecutor Bradley D. Billhimer acknowledges the Ocean County Prosecutor’s Office Major Crime Unit-Arson Squad, Ocean County Sheriff’s Office Crime Scene Investigation Unit, Berkeley Township Police Department Detective Bureau, Berkeley Township Police Department, and Berkeley Township Bureau of Fire Prevention, for their combined and cooperative efforts in connection with this investigation.
