Fire That Damaged 3 Ortley Beach Homes Ruled Accidental

TOMS RIVER, NJ — A fire that damaged three homes in Ortley Beach on Tuesday afternoon has been ruled accidental, Toms River fire officials said Wednesday.

There were no injuries, and none of the homes were occupied at the time of the fire, officials said.

The fire on Bay Boulevard was reported shortly before 5 p.m. Tuesday, and the shed was heavily involved when firefighters arrived, Chief Fire Inspector John Novak said.

The fire spread from the shed to the house on the property, and also spread to the house behind it on the property and spread to the house, along with a neighboring home on 1st Avenue, Ocean Beach Fire Chief Drew Calvo said.

The 1st Avenue home suffered the most damage, and the home on the property with the shed was damaged as well, Calvo said. The third home, on Bay Boulevard, sustained melted siding but no other significant damage, he said.

"The vinyl siding creates more trouble for us," Calvo said.

The homeowner of the property where the fire started pulled up to the home while firefighters were battling the fire, Calvo said, but no one was in any of the homes that were affected, he said.

Firefighters from Seaside Heights, Ocean Beach, Lavallette, Seaside Park, East Dover and Toms River Company No. 2 responded.

Fire Inspectors from the Toms River Bureau of Fire Prevention conducted the investigation, Novak said.

Sign up for Patch alerts and daily newsletters here, or download our app to have breaking news alerts sent right to your phone. Have a news tip? Email karen.wall@patch.com Follow Toms River Patch on Facebook.