Discarded Flooring Material Blamed for Two Weekend Fires

The spontaneous heating of discarded flooring refinishing materials at Superstorm Sandy-damaged properties is blamed for two weekend fires.

The Ocean Beach Fire Company responded to a fire on Saturday, May 4 at 124 Throssell Road and another blaze on Sunday, May at 126 Bayberry Road, according to Toms River Fire Precention Director Jim Mercready.

"In both instances, contractor-type garbage bags ignited after materials used to refinish floors ignited," he said.

Inside those bags were oily rags, paper, solvents and sawdust. The bags were outside of both houses — the Throssell Road property had minor heat damage to an adjacent plastic storage shed and the Bayberry home sustained no damage, according to Mercready.

"The fire investigation revealed that spontaneous heating from the contents of the bags ignited," Mercready said.

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A fire at the 10 Route 37 East Manhattan Bagel shop Monday started in the bagel oven and was contained there by responders from companies 1 and 2 from Toms River, Mercready said. 

"The fire investigation revealed that residual bagel products accumulated in the bottom of the oven," Mercready said. "No structural damage occurred to the store."

All of the fires have been investigated by Inspector John Novak of the Toms River Bureau of Fire Prevention.