Cause of fatal Berkeley house fire revealed; prosecutor identifies victim
TOMS RIVER - The Berkeley house fire that killed a woman Thursday afternoon originated in the kitchen dishwasher, Ocean County Prosecutor Bradley D. Billhimer announced Friday.
In a second statement late Friday afternoon, the Prosecutor’s Office identified the victim as Janet Conroy, 77, who was the owner of the home. Earlier in the day, Billhimer said that authorities were struggling to locate any family members, which was necessary before Conroy’s identity could be made public.
About 1:50 p.m. on Thursday, Berkeley Police and local firefighters were dispatched to the blaze in the single-family home at 1 Miles Pond Road in the Holiday City section of Berkeley, Billhimer said.
While putting out the fire, Conroy’s body was discovered in the dining room, he said.
The blaze has been ruled accidental, with the prosecutor explaining that “a failure of energized electrical equipment cannot be eliminated as the cause of the fire.”
Billhimer added: “Thank you to everyone that reached out to our office and assisted us with locating Ms. Conroy’s family. I’d also like to extend my gratitude to all of the agencies that responded to and investigated the cause of this tragic fire.”
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Jenna Calderón covers breaking news and cold cases in Monmouth and Ocean counties. Before coming to the Press, she covered The Queen City for Cincinnati Magazine in Ohio. Contact her at 330-590-3903; jcalderon@gannettnj.com
This article originally appeared on Asbury Park Press: Fire in Toms River started by dishwasher; prosecutor identifies victim
