Firefighters encounter 100,000 rounds of exploding ammo in blaze
Image courtesy of Tms River Police Department Ofc. Walter Herman.
Firefighters were forced to retreat from a burning building in Toms River early this morning due to exploding ammunition.
The blaze broke out around 3:30 a.m. at 94 East Water Street in the township’s downtown section, Toms River Police Department spokesman Ralph Stocco said in a release.
Arriving police officers and firefighters saw smoke coming from a portion of the building, and as they approached, heard small explosions from inside, he said.
The explosions were later determined to be from small caliber ammunition detonating from the heat inside an office space, the spokesman added.
He further said investigators determined that the building’s owner is a competitive shooter and that there were approximately 100,000 rounds of ammunition stored within the structure.
The fire was brought under control by 5:30 a.m. There were no injuries.
The extent of damage in the building, which houses a variety of offices and services, was not immediately known.
An investigation into the cause is ongoing.
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