POINT FATAL FIRE UPDATE – VICTIM IDENTIFIED

Point Pleasant Borough, New Jersey – On Wednesday, January 3, 2018, at 1:52 am, a structure fire was reported at 1161 Ridgefield Drive in Point Pleasant Borough.  The fire consumed the front portion of a one story residential structure.  Firefighters made entry into the structure after the fire was controlled and located a male victim located in the Southeast bedroom behind the bedroom door. Ocean County Prosecutors Office Arson Unit, Fire Marshal’s Office, Ocean County Sherriff’s Department CIU, Ocean County Medical Examiner, and Point Pleasant Borough PD Detective Bureau responded to conduct a scene examination into the origin and cause of the structure fire / fatality.

The investigation by the partnering agencies found that the origin of the fire was located in the Southeast corner of the living room. The cause of the fire is deemed accidental.  A failure of energized electrical equipment could not be eliminated as the contributing factor.

The victim is identified as Dennis Breuel, 65, the sole resident of the home.  The Ocean County Medical Examiner determined the cause of death to be inhalation of products of combustion and the manner to be accidental.