BRICK – Police are reminding residents that they need to follow safety precautions when lighting fires in their back yard after one damaged neighboring property.
The fire pit was in the back yard of a Mohawk Drive home on March 22. Police and firefighters determined that the owner of the property did not put it out properly. They also said that it was within 15 feet of a structure or combustible material.
Captain Steve Gerling and Patrolman Joseph McGrath were the first to arrive on the scene, finding a shed behind a neighbor’s house completely engulfed in flames. Firefighters from Breton Woods, Pioneer Hose and Laurelton Fire Companies responded to the scene along with Brick Township EMS.
“The fire caused extensive damage to neighboring properties before being extinguished,” police said.
Barbara Johnson, 56, of Brick, was charged with criminal mischief for not properly covering and extinguishing an open fire and for negligently causing damage.
The Bureau of Fire Safety issued a reminder that all recreational (back yard) fires MUST be in an approved, non-combustible device, at least 15’ from any structures or combustible materials and continually attended. There must also be a method for extinguishing the fire present. Additionally, persons who utilize fire pits and fail to take the necessary precautions can be held criminally and or civilly liable for damages caused by a fire.
