Ocean Beach Marina Fire Deemed Accidental

The and severely damaged two others at Ocean Beach Marina on Thursday morning was deemed accidental, said Michael A. Paulhus, Ocean County executive assistant prosecutor.

“Determining the cause and origin of a fire is a process of elimination,” he said in an email. “Accidental causes could not be eliminated. The precise accidental cause has not yet been identified.”

But since the blaze was found to be accidental, the prosecutor’s office is no longer involved in the investigation, he said.

, marina service manager Kyle Firuta told Patch on Friday. It is possible that one of the boats had been plugged in, charging its battery, he said. Some owners like to keep their boats charged during the winter and others work on their boats, especially with the spring season approaching.

“The power was turned on,” he said.

As of today, the boats, which were burnt to a crisp, remained on site. Cleanup cannot begin until the insurance adjusters complete their investigation, marina general manager Jared Gaccione said.

That investigation should be complete within a day or so, he said. The corporate office of Ocean Beach Marine Centers will be handling the cleanup.

“We’re still in the process of complete and total cleanup,” Gaccione said. “The biggest impact on us is the customers who were effected. Our business will continue on. Hopefully these customers will go on to buy new boats. Many of them had these boats for a long time so it’s difficult for them.”

A representative from the corporate office did not immediately return calls for comment.