Two people were killed in a blaze that destroyed a two-story home on 14th Avenue in Belmar on Monday night.
BELMAR - A father and his adult son were killed in blaze late Monday that gutted a two-story house just blocks from the beach in Belmar.
The names and ages of the two men were not released. A neighbor said they had been living at the house on 14th Avenue for about two years.
"Our hearts go out to their families at a tragic times like this," Belmar Mayor Matt Doherty said Tuesday morning. He credited the efforts of firefighters in preventing the blaze from spreading to nearby homes.
"You can see how charred it is now and when they got here there were flames coming out of every window," Doherty said. "They did their best to put it out, but with out a doubt, it was far too late."
A dog was also killed in the blaze, which started around 9:40 p.m. and drew fire departments from neighboring towns including Wall Township, Neptune and Avon-by-the-Sea. Doherty said the intensity of the fire hindered rescue efforts.
"I have never seen a fire quite like that, as far as the quickness the house was consumed," said Trina Clapsis, who lives around the corner from the house. "The fire department and police were spectacular, they were wonderful. But honestly, by the time anyone noticed the fire and they got here, it was already too late."
Clapsis said that the fire companies managed to initially put the fire out "very quickly" but that they remained on scene for hours because it "kept sparking" again.
Doherty said the two men were year-round renters.
Charles Webster, a spokesman for the Monmouth County Prosecutor's Office, said the cause and manner of their deaths, as well as their respective identities, would be determined at autopsies scheduled for Tuesday.
"The cause of the fire remains under investigation but does not appear to be suspicious at this time," Webster said via email. "The investigation is being conducted by the Monmouth County Prosecutor's Office, Monmouth County Fire Marshal's Office, Belmar Police Department and Belmar Fire Department."
A car in the driveway and the siding on a two-family home next door also appeared to sustain damage from the fire. A faint smell of smoke was still noticeable in quiet neighborhood as its residents awoke Tuesday morning.
"This was a tremendous fire. Our firefighters and the firefighters from the neighboring towns, did a remarkable job with the intensity of this fire and the fact that it didn't spread is due to the skill of these firefighters."
@belmardays @MonmouthPDFDEMS pic.twitter.com/wCzxNvjXRL
-- Cristina Meier (@CristinaMeier34) August 16, 2016
Tragic fire in Belmar tonight on 14th Ave-2 fatalities. Belmar, Avon, Spring Lake, Wall, & Neptune FD's did a great job responding. Heroes.
-- Matt Doherty (@mattdohertynj) August 16, 2016
Rob Spahr may be reached at rspahr@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @TheRobSpahr. Find NJ.com on Facebook.