The neighbor of Mark Oberschewen, 49, and his 84-year-old father, Bill, grieves over the sight of the now charred house from a blaze that left the father and son dead.
BELMAR -- Kris Crescenzo often saw his neighbor and friend, Mark, sitting on the front porch of his house hanging out with his dad. It was those moments that the true father-son bond between Bill and Mark Oberschewen was most clear.
The aftermath of a fire at a house on the 200 block of 14th Avenue in Belmar that left a father and son dead Monday, Aug. 15, 2016. (Spencer Kent | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com) Crescenzo on Wednesday stared across the street at the charred remains of that 14th Avenue porch and the gutted residence where Mark died Monday night with his dad.
"It was hard. It was like a nightmare story. It was hard to believe," Crescenzo said of the moment he learned the father and son perished in a fast-moving blaze Monday night.
Mark Oberschewen was 49 and a father of two. His dad, Bill Oberschewen, was 84. Crescenzo said Mark was a loving father to his kids.
"He was great," Crescenzo said from his porch.
The fire began around 9:40 p.m., and almost immediately, Crescenzo received a call at his nearby job that the house was in flames. He rushed home within minutes to find the house engulfed.
The cause of the fire remains undisclosed at this time, but no foul play is suspected, officials said. Officials noted they could not rule out that improperly used or disposed of smoking materials or a nearby electrical source as potential causes.
The father and son, who were year-round renters, had the property for a couple of years, officials have said.
Officials said the house did not have any previous property violations and is inspected for a certificate of occupancy each time there is a change in tenants.
A GoFundMe page has been created to raise funds for funeral expenses for the father and son. As of Wednesday night, the page had raised $17,055.
Spencer Kent may be reached at skent@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @SpencerMKent. Find the Find NJ.com on Facebook.