Man Dies In Tent Fire In Waretown

OCEAN TOWNSHIP, NJ - A 51-year-old man died early Friday morning in a tent fire at 140 Seneca Boulevard, a spokesman for the Ocean County Prosecutor's Office said.

When police and fire units arrived at 2:55 a.m., they found William King dead in the tent, which had been completely consumed by fire, spokesman Al Della Fave said.

King was related to the homeowners, who let him stay in the tent during good weather. He stayed in the tent because he did not want to impose on the family, who lived in a small home, he said.

The investigation determined the fire began on the ground on the east side of the tent and has been ruled accidental. The improper use of a space heater nearby to combustibles could not be eliminated as a contributing factor, Della Fave said.

The Ocean County Prosecutors Office Arson Unit, Ocean County Sheriff’s Department Crime Scene Investigations, Ocean County Fire Marshal’s Office, Ocean County Medical Examiner’s Office and Ocean Township Police Department Detective Bureau were requested to respond to conduct a scene examination into the origin and cause of the fire.

Photo: Courtesy of the Ocean County Prosecutor's Office