Toms River Truck Fire Probed

It's a charred hulk now. A short while ago, it was a ball of flames lighting up the Toms River skies. Fire investigators are trying to determine what ignited the pickup, damaged the attached construction trailer and singed overhead wires.

According to township Fire District Chief John Lightbody, firefighters from stations 25 and 26 found the Ford F-150 ablaze when they arrived around 3:20 AM Tuesday in the Point Of Woods section. It was unoccupied and parked at 10 Fairway Drive.

Flames were starting to lick the eight-foot-long trailer and reached up to the utility lines as well, says Lightbody.

Firefighters knocked it down quickly, using foam to stop the flames from engulfing the trailer, which Lightbody says contained a large amount of tools.

Lightbody says the truck was burned clear through and the trailer's exterior sustained damage but the contents were mostly left unmarred and utility inspectors checked wires for compromises.

The Toms River Bureau of Fire Prevention and township police Detective James McGovern are still examining the wreckage.