Body in burned car found at Ocean County brush fire

PLUMSTED — When emergency personnel responded to the scene of a fire near the Mills Wildlife Management Area, their attention turned from the cause of the fire to the discovery of a dead person in the front seat of a burned car.

Capt. Jack Sramaty of the Ocean County Prosecutor's Office said personnel from the Joint Base Fire Department were the first to spot the fire after 7 p.m. Monday. The fire was determined to be close to an acre in size.

Investigators found the car on the side of Hawkins Road with what Sramaty described as "significant fire and heat damage."

Sramaty said foul play is not suspected, but the investigation is continuing. The body has not been identified and an autopsy has been scheduled.

The fire is being investigated by several departments, including the Ocean County Prosecutor's Office, State Police, New Jersey Forest Fire Service, New Jersey State Fire Marshal's Office, the Division of Fish and Wildlife and the Plumsted Township Police Department.

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Contact reporter Adam Hochron at 609-359-5326 or Adam.Hochron@townsquaremedia.com