Electrical Source Eyed in Toms River Fire Probe

The area around an air conditioner in a downtown Toms River building is suspected as the likely point of origin for the fire that lit it up in the middle of the night.

The building on Washington Street just west of Hooper Avenue houses offices for a law practice and a bail bond service.

According to township police, firefighters saw flames leaping from the east-facing side when they arrived around 12:30 AM.

Flames were seen spewing from a first-floor window in which an air conditioner was lodged, police said.

Volunteers from Toms River Fire Companies 1 and 2 and the East Dover squad remained at the site until about 2:20 AM.

The cause has not been officially determined. Township Police Detective Thomas DeMichele and Investigator Kevin Esposito of the township's Bureau of Fire Prevention lead the investigation.

It's the second building fire within a two-block stretch of Downtown since May 16. A longstanding two-story structure that went up in flames is scheduled for demolition. The origin was traced to wiring.

Sources speaking with WOBM News conjecture that the likelihood of a presence of asbestos might require state environmental oversight before razing begins.