Crime & Safety
Three Fires in Toms River Saturday
Kettle Creek fire, Route 9 pole fire, barrier island house fire
Amid yesterday's storm, three fires broke out in Toms River. No injuries were reported.
A cottage home on the barrier island section of Toms River, in Dover Beaches North south of Chadwick Beach, a house fire was reported around 8 p.m.
A Toms River fire prevention bureau investigator remained at the scene around 9 p.m. Saturday, after the fire had been contained.
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The East Bayberry Drive home fire was caused by an electrical problem, the investigator said. The home sustained damage to the rear of the structure, a one-story home in a residential neighborhood. No road closures or traffic delays were reported during the fire.
Earlier in the day on Route 9, a utility pole caught on fire, creating a power outage for several hundred people along the Pleasant Plains section of Toms River, officials said.
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A fire on a utility pole on Route 9 at Bamberry Lane knocked out power to about 1,000 homes in the area for a couple of hours on Saturday morning, and caused traffic delays along Route 9 between Whitty Road and Route 571, police said.
Ron Morano, a spokesman for Jersey Central Power & Light, said 800 of the customers had service back by 10 a.m. and the remainder were restored by 11:30 a.m.
Police Chief Michael Mastronardy said Route 9 was mostly open again by 1:30 p.m., with a limited slowdown and closure around Bamberry.
A third fire was reported on Kettle Creek Road, not that far from where a water main break had transpired the previous day. Silverton Fire Department responded.
No injuries were reported in any of the three incidents.
