Manchester Duplex Destroyed By Morning Fire

MANCHESTER, NJ — A fire left both halves of a duplex home on Willow Court in the Whiting section Friday morning uninhabitable, forcing the residents to find shelter elsewhere, Manchester Township police said.

No residents were injured, but one firefighter suffered an ankle injury battling the blaze and was taken to Community Medical Center in Toms River.

The fire on Willow Court was reported at 9:04 a.m. Police saw flames coming from the roof of the duplex, and confirmed there was no one inside the homes. Nearby homes were evacuated while the fire was fought, Capt. Todd Malland said.

Firefighters from the Manchester, Ridgeway, and Whiting Volunteer fire departments along with fire crews from the Lakehurst, Joint Base, Forked River and Bayville fire departments responded.

EMTs from Manchester Township Emergency Medical Services also responded to assist at the scene. Although no residents were injured during the fire, one firefighter sustained an ankle injury battling the blaze and was transported to Community Medical Center, Malland said.

The Manchester Township building inspector determined that units A and B, which were severely damaged by the fire, were uninhabitable. The residents were relocated with family, he said.

The cause of fire remains under investigation but investigators could not rule out electrical malfunctions in a bedroom, Malland said. The police department's Investigations Bureau and the Ocean County Fire Marshal’s Office are investigating.

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