UPDATE: Brick Resident, Almost Finished With Sandy Repairs, Loses Home To Fire

One year to the date after Sandy leveled many homes in the Brick Township area, Richard Blundin was putting the finishing touches on fixing up his home on Normandy Drive.

He stopped this afternoon for a brief while to have a bowl of pea soup, leaving the soup and the device used to heat it, on.

The hot item used to heat up the soup started a blaze, Blundin said, which ended up gutting the entire home

"Sandy got me a third time," Blundin said, noting the Superstorm, the subsequent snowstorm, and then the fire today. "I'm just numb."

Blundin told Patch that he has another home in North Plainfield and will stay there while he figures out his next step.

The Brick Township Fire Bureau Investigator Kevin Batzel, in coordination with the Brick Township Detective Bureau and the Ocean County Prosecutor's Office are investigating the fire.

Brick Township Fire Companies: Breton Woods, Pioneer, Laurelton, initially responded to the fire and numerous companies from the Barrier Island; Ocean Fire and Ocean Beach Fire responded to assist along with fire companies from Point Pleasant and Toms River.

Additional fire companies responded to Brick Township to provide fire coverage for the township including East Dover Fire and Silverton Fire from Toms River.

Police officers from Lavallette, Toms River and Mantoloking also responded to assist in the evacuation of surrounding homes and for traffic control.