Seaside Park Trash Can Fire Deemed Suspicious, One Day After Ice Cream Hut Burns

Authorities are considering a trash can fire spotted shortly before midnight on the 11th Avenue beach in Seaside Park suspicious, since it occurred one day after someone set a beach hut on fire with an accelerant, a spokesman for the Ocean County Prosecutor's Office said.

The trash can was discovered by a Seaside Park police officer who was patrolling the beach on an all-terrain vehicle at 11:47 on Aug. 9 when he saw flames and smoke coming from the can, spokesman Al Della Fave said.

The fire was extinguished by another responding police officer. The Ocean County Fire Marshal’s Office and Ocean County Prosecutors Office Arson also responded and determined the origin of the fire was inside the can, Della Fave said.

Authorities have determined that someone deliberately set an municipally-owned ice cream hut on the Seaside Park beachfront on fire on Aug. 8, Della Fave has said.

The 10-foot by 10-foot wooden gazebo-structure off 2nd Avenue was fully involved when Seaside Park police and firefighters arrived at 4:41 a.m. on Aug. 8, he said.

The structure is one of seven huts placed along the Seaside Park beach used to sell ice cream to beach goers during the day.

OCPO Detective Christopher Bonner requested Ocean County Fire Marshal John Pasola and his accelerant detection K-9 “Sam,” who found a positive indication of ignitable liquids on the floor along the south side of the structure, Della Fave said.

"The partnering agencies concluded that open flame to ignitable liquids couldn't be eliminated as the cause of the fire," he said

Anyone with any information regarding these cases, please contact OCPO Major Crimes Arson Investigation Unit Det. Christopher Bonner at 732 929-2027 Ext. 2449. All information will be treated completely confidential.

Photo: Patch file photo.