PLUMSTED – One person has died from an accidental fire that broke out in a mobile home Wednesday morning, officials said.
Around 10 a.m., first responders found a home on Lakewood Road in Plumsted Township covered in heavy smoke.
The homeowner, Paul Hakos, 79, was transported to CentraState Medical Center in Freehold for treatment of his injuries. He is listed in stable condition, officials said.
Firefighters found the body of a woman in the back bedroom of the residence. She was later identified as Catherine Hakos, 63, and was pronounced deceased at the scene.
After investigating the blaze, officials discovered that the fire originated underneath the structure, and that a “failure of energized electrical equipment” could not be eliminated as the cause. Officials determined the fire to be accidental.
Ocean County Prosecutor Bradley D. Billhimer acknowledges the Ocean County Prosecutor’s Office-Arson Squad, Ocean County Fire Marshal’s Office, Plumsted Township Police Department Detective Bureau, Plumsted Township Fire Marshal’s Office, and Ocean County Sheriff’s Office Crime Scene Investigation Unit, for their combined and cooperative assistance in connection with this investigation.
