Fire Leaves Manchester Home Uninhabitable, Kills Pets

An inert mortar round was found in the home of a Manchester man whose pets were killed when a fire tore through his home in Crestwood Village 7 on Monday, police said.

Alan Palm, the home’s owner, was not home when the fire broke out, Manchester Police Capt. Todd Malland said. It was reported at 6:21 a.m. after a neighbor called police. Manchester Patrolman Vincent DeRome arrived on the scene at 12 Chelsea Dr. and noticed flames coming from the roof, Malland said.

Fire companies from Whiting, Manchester, Ridgeway, Lakehurst, Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst, Pinewald, and Bamber Lakes responded and extinguished the blaze.

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During the investigation, an inert mortar round was found inside the home, requiring officers from the New Jersey State Police Bomb Squad and Hazmat Units to respond. They determined that the item did not pose a threat to public safety. The Ocean County Sheriff’s Office K-9 accelerant dog also responded to the scene and found no evidence of explosive or incendiary material, Malland said.

The exact cause of the fire has not yet been determined, though it appears to be accidental in nature. It remains under investigation by Ocean County Deputy Fire Marshall Mike Wolfschmidt. Manchester Township Building Inspector Nicole Ashkar determined that the residence was uninhabitable. The Red Cross responded and provided Palm with temporary housing, Malland said.

Also responding to the scene were Manchester Animal Control Officer Margaret Dellapietro, and Detectives John Anderson and Thomas Haskill from the Ocean County Prosecutor’s Office.