Fire In Long Branch Kills 67-Year-Old Man: Officials

Police and firefighters say they responded to a fatal fire in Long Branch on Friday.

A man was pronounced dead after being pulled from the house fire in Long Branch, according to the Monmouth County Prosecutor's Office. Police officers found Thomas Booth III, 67, in the rear of the house on 135 Charles Street just before 2:30 a.m. Friday.

They removed him from the home and performed CPR before taking him to Jersey Shore University Medical Center. But he was pronounced dead at 3:15 a.m., according to the MCPO. A post-mortem exam is scheduled for later today, the MCPO said. The fire started in the rear apartment, according to ABC7.

“Police officers who arrived initially were able to find one person in the rear apartment and were able to drag him out up into the front yard and they were performing CPR on him upon our arrival,” Chief Kevin Stout told News12.

There did not appear to be working smoke detectors, according to the reports. The cause of the fire is under investigation.

Officials deemed the fire under control at 2:34 a.m. No further injuries were reported, the MCPO said.

Here are videos of the scene: