Manchester brush fire probe inconclusive

A quickly-extinguished Monday brush fire in Manchester leaves three acres of woods largely charred and folks in a nearby neighborhood breathing a sigh of relief. But how it started remains a mystery.

According to police, the first report orignated with a spotter for the New Jersey State Forest Fire Service and was followed by several phone reports of visible flames.

Officers sent at about 4:51 PM arrived on Fox Street in Whiting's Pine Ridge section saw trees burning across the lake from the Pine Ridge sales office, authorities said.

After Whiting firefighters and New Jersey State Forest Fire Service crews quenched the flames, investigators from the state Forest Service and Ocean County Prosecutor's and Fire Marshall's offices began combing the area.

They ascertained only that some sort of open flame ignited the woods, but were unable to determine the specific source, police said. No one was evacuated and no injuries ensued.