by Tod Malland, MPD
On Wednesday morning, December 6, 2017, at approximately 4:50 AM, officers from the Manchester Township Police Department, along with several local fire companies, responded to the report of a structure fire in the Surf & Stream Campground located on Route 571 in the eastern section of the Township.
Upon arrival, officers quickly located the fire inside of a mobile home trailer on lot 15. The mobile home was fully engulfed in flames when officers arrived and the homeowner was already out of the residence. The homeowner reported that she believed that her cocker spaniel was still inside the residence, however, due to the magnitude of the fire, first responders were unable to enter the dwelling. The fire was ultimately extinguished by members of the Manchester, Ridgeway and Lakehurst Volunteer Fire Departments, after which the remains of the victim’s dog were located. The fire completely destroyed the mobile home making it uninhabitable and caused heat damage to units on two adjoining lots. As a result, the homeowner was relocated to a friend’s residence within the complex.
Although the fire is not considered suspicious in nature, the exact cause and origin is being investigated. In spite of that, the initial indication points to the fire starting in the area of the attached porch. This incident is being investigated by Detective Adam Emmons of the Manchester Township Police Department’s Investigations Bureau with the assistance of the Ocean County Fire Marshal’s Office. Also assisting are Detectives from the Ocean County Sheriff’s Office Crime Scene Investigations (CSI) Unit.
