JACKSON – Investigators from the Ocean County Fire Marshal’s office are still searching for the cause of a fire that broke out at the Bella Terra assisted living facility on Oct. 9.
On Oct. 13, Ocean County Fire Investigator Mike Marks told the Tri-Town News he was not at liberty to talk about the incident. He said the investigation into the cause of fire is ongoing. Marks said he did not know how many rooms the fire damaged at the assisted living facility.
Messages left for the Bella Terra administrator by the Tri-Town News have not been returned.
No one was injured when a fire broke out in a residential unit at Bella Terra on the morning of Oct. 9, but some residents were evacuated to Jackson Liberty High School as emergency crews responded to the scene, according to police.
According to police, at 7:15 a.m., emergency responders converged on Bella Terra, 2 Kathleen Drive, when a fire alarm was activated as a result of a fire on the third floor. The building’s sprinkler system extinguished the fire, according to police.
Police said firefighters entered the building and confirmed that the fire had been extinguished. According to a press release, the fire did not appear to be suspicious in nature.
Police said 33 residents of Bella Terra were evacuated to a temporary shelter that was established at Jackson Liberty High School and 26 residents were transported from the scene by family members. A total of 44 rooms were evacuated.
There were no reported injuries at the scene, according to police.