BERKELEY TOWNSHIP, NJ – Ocean County Prosecutor Bradley D. Billhimer announced that a juvenile has been charged with six counts of arson following a flash fire that occurred during a New Year’s Eve party in Berkeley Township on December 31, 2025.
At approximately 8:00 p.m., Berkeley Township police, fire, and EMS units responded to a residence on North Trenton Avenue for reports of a fire and multiple injuries. The Ocean County Prosecutor’s Office Major Crime Unit–Arson Squad, Ocean County Sheriff’s Office Crime Scene Investigation Unit, Ocean County Fire Marshal’s Office, and Berkeley Township Police Department Detective Bureau also responded to investigate the cause and circumstances of the incident.
Investigators determined that a juvenile was attempting to start a fire in a backyard fire pit by repeatedly pouring gasoline from a five-gallon can. The gasoline ignited, resulting in a flash fire that injured six people, including the juvenile.
Two victims were taken to Community Medical Center in Toms River, while another was transported to Jersey Shore University Medical Center in Neptune for treatment.
Witness interviews and recovered Ring doorbell footage confirmed the sequence of events leading to the fire and the injuries sustained.
Because the person charged is a juvenile, state law prohibits the release of additional identifying information.
Prosecutor Billhimer credited the coordinated work of the Ocean County Prosecutor’s Office Major Crime Unit–Arson Squad, Berkeley Township Police Department, Berkeley Township Fire Department, Berkeley Township EMS, the Ocean County Sheriff’s Office Crime Scene Investigation Unit, and the Ocean County Fire Marshal’s Office.