71-Year-Old Man Killed In Edison House Fire: Prosecutor

EDISON, NJ – A 71-year-old Edison man was killed in a house fire over the weekend, Middlesex County Prosecutor Yolanda Ciccone and Chief Thomas Bryan of the Edison Police Department said.

On Saturday, around 5:51 a.m., authorities responded to a residence on Poll Place in Edison following a report of a structure fire.

On their arrival, first responders found an unresponsive man in an upstairs bedroom, who was a friend of the family that had been staying with them.

He was identified as James Thomas, 71, of Edison. Thomas was taken to JFK Hospital where was pronounced dead.

The cause of death remains undetermined pending the completion of an autopsy by the Middlesex County Regional Medical Examiner’s Office. No firefighters or police officers were injured.

Although the investigation is ongoing, a preliminary investigation found that the fire was not suspicious in nature and was accidentally caused, authorities said.

An investigation into the cause of the fire is active and continuing.

Anyone with information is asked to call Detective Mike Geist of the Edison Police Department at 908-421-4741 or Detective Matthew Colonna of the Middlesex County Prosecutor’s Office at 732-745-3354.

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