Man's Death In Toms River Mobile Home Fire Ruled Accidental

TOMS RIVER, NJ — A Toms River man died of smoke inhalation in a fire that destroyed his mobile home, the Ocean County Prosecutor's Office said Tuesday.

Billy Kimbrough, 76, died of asphyxia due to smoke inhalation, the Ocean County medical examiner said, and ruled his death accidental, Prosecutor Bradley D. Billhimer said.

Kimbrough's body was found following the fire on Feb. 16 in his home at the Roberts Mobile Home Park off Route 9.

The fire was ruled accidental, the prosecutor's office said Saturday when it released Kimbrough's identity. The fire investigation found it started on a mattress in the bedroom, the prosecutor's office said.

"Smoking cannot be eliminated as the cause of the fire," authorities said.

The fire was reported about 3 p.m. Thursday. The 911 caller reportedly told police they tried to alert the homeowner to the fire because the caller believed he was still inside, police said.

When Toms River police arrived they tried to go into the home and look for the homeowner, but it was fully engulfed and they were driven back by the heavy smoke and intense flames, police said.

The prosecutor's office Major Crime Unit-Arson Squad, Ocean County Sheriff’s Office Crime Scene Investigation Unit, Toms River Township police, the Toms River Township Bureau of Fire Prevention, and the Ocean County Medical Examiner’s Office investigated.