Couple Dies In Evening Fire In Manchester; 2 Firefighters Hurt

MANCHESTER, NJ — Authorities are continuing to investigate the cause of a fire Friday night that killed an elderly Manchester couple and injured two firefighters, Manchester police said Saturday.

June Hollander, 82, and her husband, Warren Hollander, 84, died in the blaze that destroyed their home at 1 Ignatius Dr. in the Renaissance development, Manchester Detective Lt. Vincent Manco said. They were found in the master bedroom, he said.

Manchester Capt. Todd Malland on Monday said authorities believe the fire was accidental, and were still working to determine the cause.

Two firefighters were injured fighting the fire, which was reported to Manchester police at 8:27 p.m., Manco said. One was taken to Community Medical Center for further treatment, but he said the injuries were described as minor.

When police arrived, flames were coming through the roof and the house was fully involved, he said. Manco said neighbors told the officers the couple was still inside the home but the officers were unable to get into the house to try to rescue them due to the intense heat, smoke and flames.

Several neighboring homes were evacuated as a safety precaution, Manco said, and some of those suffered damage from the heat of the fire.

Firefighters from the Whiting Fire Department, Manchester Fire Department, Ridgeway Fire Department, Lakehurst Borough Fire Department, Pleasant Plains Fire Department, and Toms River Fire Departments 1 and 2 responded and extinguished the fire, Manco said.

EMTs from Quality Medical Transport and Manchester First Aid responded and treated the firefighters who were injured, he said.

The Manchester Township building inspector, JCP&L, and NJ Natural Gas also assisted at the scene.

The exact cause and origin of the fire remains under investigation by the Ocean County Fire Marshal’s office, the Ocean County Prosecutor’s Office and Manchester Police Detective Adam Emmons. The Ocean County Sheriff’s Office Crime Scene Investigation unit, and the Ocean County Medical Examiner’s Office also assisted in the investigation.

Photo provided by Manchester Township Police Department