Fire Marshal: Rumson Fire Appears Accidental

The fire on South Rohallion Drive Wednesday night appears to be an accident, officials say.

“The fire is still under investigation, but it appears to be accidental,” Monmouth County Fire Marshal Hank Stryker said.

The home was vacant and ready for demolition at the time of the fire, according to Fire Chief Kevin McCarthy of Oceanic Hook and Ladder. Utility wires were disconnected, McCarthy said.

The fire was reported around 10:23 p.m. Wednesday when a call came into . When police arrived, there flames were already seeping through the roof of the house.

Both and Oceanic Hook and Ladder arrived soon after the initial call.

“With the home vacant, the fire spread quickly and the house was heavily involved so we went right to exterior operations,” said McCarthy.

The departments received mutual aid from Sea Bright, Monmouth Beach and . Rumson EMS was on the scene for support as well.

They were able to control the fire within an hour of arriving on the scene. “We had most of the fire knocked down in 30 minutes and under control within 45 minutes,” McCarthy said.

After working on damage control into the night, they were able to clear the scene around 2:30 a.m., however the house was completely destroyed.

“There is nothing salvageable left of the house,” said McCarthy. “It is a total loss.”