Woman Homeless After Fire in Cypress Avenue Home

A woman and her daughter are staying with friends after a fire rendered a Cypress Avenue home uninhabitable on Wednesday night, Brick Township police said.

There were no injuries, police said.

Melissa Anderson of California, who was visiting her mother, came home about 7:30 p.m. to find smoke in the house at 965 Cypress Ave., Brick Sgt. Robert Hine said. Hine said the police report on the fire said Anderson also reported seeing a glow around the chimney of a freestanding fireplace. She grabbed the two dogs belonging to her mother and left the house and called the fire department, Hine said.

The call occurred as the Breton Woods Fire Company was conducting a training exercise at the fire house, Hine said. Firefighters from Breton Woods responded and the fire was out in less than 20 minutes, reports said.

Karinna Beaver, Anderson's mother, was not home at the time of the fire. Hine said the initial investigation indicates the fire started when the chimney of the freestanding fireplace overheated. The report indicated the fireplace was used 24 hours a day, Hine said.

The fire severely damaged the attic and left the home uninhabitable, Hine said. Beaver, Anderson and the dogs were staying with friends on Wednesday night, he said.

In addition to the Breton Woods Fire Company, firefighters from the Pioneer Hose Company and the Silverton Fire Company's FAST team responded to the fire, Hine said, as well as the Brick Township police department. Mantoloking Fire Company provided support during the fire.