Lakewood: Shabbos Fire Destroys Two Vehicles

Lakewood, NJ – Two unoccupied vehicles belonging to a frum family were destroyed by a fire Friday night in the driveway of a townhouse on East 9th Street in Lakewood. At about 3 a.m., some locals awoke from the sound of an explosion and were shocked to see a ball of fire when they looked out their windows. Three separate people, not knowing the others had called, contacted the police and fire departments.

The fire was just feet away from an electrical wire, but thankfully the damage was limited to the cars, though some slight damage was rendered to a neighboring house, whose siding melted due to the heat.

The fire appeared to have started in the engine compartment of one vehicle, a Ford Explorer, and spread to a minivan parked in front of it.

A Gemara Eruvin that was on the back seat of the Ford was completely undamaged, despite most of the vehicle being burnt to a crisp.

Local Yidden who woke up due to the fire and tumult came out of their homes in pajamas, rubbing their eyes as they watched the firefighters extinguish the blaze.

Police evacuated nearby homes until after the fire was put out by the Lakewood Fire Department.

The fire is deemed not suspicious, with some sources believing that it resulted from a short-circuit or some other malfunction in the car, perhaps related to a prior recall. The incident is still under investigation.

{Dov Green-Matzav.com Newscenter}