Division Street Blaze Ruled an Electrical Fire

Investigators said an early morning fire this spring that closed lanes of Hooper and Route 37 likely began in an electrical panel.

The  destroyed a small shop and apartment building on the corner of Wright and Division streets near the intersection of Hooper Avenue and Route 37. 

Toms River Bureau of Fire Prevention Chief John F. Lightbody said that after examining the electrical distribution panel in the shop area of the destroyed building, the wiring was a likely cause.

The fire scene was under the supervision of Inspector Dominick Roselli.

No injuries on the scene were reported and the most significant damage was suffered to the building's front side, a former small business that has been closed for years. 

Now, the building remains shuttered with plywood boarding up the window and doorways damaged in the fire, as a way to secure the building.