Crime & Safety

New Brunswick Man, 61, Identified As Fatal Fire Victim

A resident of the home on Delavan Street was found deceased in the basement. The cause of the fire appears accidental.

The stretch of homes on Delavan Street where the fatal fire occurred Saturday night.
The stretch of homes on Delavan Street where the fatal fire occurred Saturday night. (Google Earth)

NEW BRUNSWICK, NJ — A 61-year-old homeowner has been identified as the person who died in the fatal fire Saturday night on Delavan Street.

Police say he died in the home where he lived. His body was found by firefighters in the basement of the home.

As Patch reported, the fire broke out at 6:00 p.m. Saturday, March 13 at a private home on the 200 block of Delavan Street. The flames grew so great that a home next door also had to be evacuated.

Find out what's happening in New Brunswickfor free with the latest updates from Patch.

A resident of that address, identified as Thomas Sims, 61, was found deceased by firefighters in the basement.

The preliminary investigation suggests that Sims death was a result of the fire. However, what exactly caused the fire is still under investigation by New Brunswick Police and Fire Departments along with investigators from the Middlesex County Prosecutor’s and Fire Marshall’s Office.

Find out what's happening in New Brunswickfor free with the latest updates from Patch.

At this time, the cause of the fire appears to be accidental and no foul play is suspected.

Anyone with information on how the fire started is asked to contact the New Brunswick Fire Department at (732) 745-5254 or the New Brunswick Police Department at (732) 745-5217.

Be the first to know what's happening in your town and area. Sign up to get Patch emails and don't miss a minute of local and state news: https://patch.com/subscribe Contact this reporter: carly.baldwin@patch.com

Get more local news delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for free Patch newsletters and alerts.

More from New Brunswick