Ocean County Prosecutor Bradley D. Billhimer announced that on December 31, 2025, at approximately 10:00 p.m., Berkeley Township Police, Fire and Emergency Service Personnel responded to a residence on North Trenton Avenue for a report of a fire with multiple burn victims. Emergency personnel discovered that seven juveniles had suffered burns from a flash fire that occurred in an outdoor firepit. Two of the juveniles were transported to Community Medical Center in Toms River where they were treated and released. A third juvenile was transported by her parents to Jersey Shore University Medical Center in Neptune where she was likewise treated and released. The remaining juveniles were released to their parents and refused medical treatment.
The incident is currently under investigation by the Ocean County Prosecutor’s Office Major Crime Unit-Arson Squad, Berkeley Township Police Department Detective Bureau, Ocean County Fire Marshal’s Office, and Ocean County Sheriff’s Office Crime Scene Investigation Unit.