9 Cats Perish As Fire Destroys Manchester Home

MANCHESTER, NJ — A fire destroyed a Manchester Township home on Sunday afternoon, killing nine cats in the home, Manchester police said.

Police were called to the home at 13 Rabbit Court in the Pine Ridge section shortly before 2 p.m. for a report of a structure fire, Lt. Vincent Manco said. Officers who arrived found the home's lone resident was not inside but several pet cats were inside.

Firefighters from the Manchester, Ridgeway, Whiting, Lakehurst, and Joint Base fire departments responded and extinguished the fire. Once the fire was out, they found the cats had not survived, Manco said.

EMTs from Quality Medical Transport also responded. There were no injuries reported at the scene.

The cause of the fire has not been determined. It is being investigated by the Ocean County Fire Marshal’s Office and Manchester Police Detective Adam Emmons.

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