Fire Destroys Manchester Home, Kills 5 Dogs: Police

MANCHESTER, NJ — A fire destroyed a Pine Ridge home and killed the homeowner's five dogs Friday night, Manchester police said Saturday.

Police were called to the home at 3 Kingfisher Way at 9:31 p.m. Friday, Capt. Todd Malland said, and arriving officers found the house was fully involved with flames coming through the roof. The officers immediately confirmed the home was unoccupied and evacuated surrounding homes that were threatened by the fire, Malland said.

Firefighters from the Whiting, Manchester, Ridgeway, and Lakehurst Borough Volunteer fire departments as well as firefighters from the Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst Fire Department responded and extinguished the fire, he said.

Once the fire was extinguished, it was learned that five dogs inside the home had died in the fire, Malland said. They were removed by the Manchester Township Animal Control Officer, he said.

EMTs from Quality Medical Transport, who also responded to the scene, evaluated the homeowner of 3 Kingfisher Way for a burn to her hand as well as the homeowner of 160 Mockingbird Way for minor smoke inhalation, Malland said. After evaluation, both were taken to Community Medical Center in Toms River for additional treatment and evaluation, he said.

Once the scene was secure and deemed safe, the Manchester Township building inspector determined that the dwelling was uninhabitable and the homeowner was relocated with family, Malland said. The home at 160 Mockingbird Way, which is next to 3 Kingfisher Way, sustained minor heat damage but was determined to be habitable, he said.

The exact cause and origin of the fire is currently being investigated by the Ocean County Fire Marshal’s office, the Ocean County Prosecutor’s Office and Manchester Police Detective Richard Jupinka.

Photo via Manchester Township Police