Fatal Brick Township House Fire Ruled Accidental

The house fire that took the life of a Brick Township 81-year-old last Sunday is ruled accidental, but investigators haven't definitively determined the cause.

An autopsy on Mary Irene Scarnecchia ruled her death accidental, listing the cause as smoke inhalation and thermal burns.

According to information from the office of Ocean County Prosecutor Joseph D. Coronato, investigators traced the point of origin to the northwest corner of the living room in the Nasto Terrace home.

The report indicates that "improperly discarded smoking materials cannot be eliminated as the cause of the fire."

The Ocean County Arson Unit was assisted by the county Arson Investigation Task Force, the Ocean County Sheriff's Department and the Brick Township Bureau of Fire Safety.