Authorities in Ocean County say they can't rule out arson in the case of a garbage can fire on the beach in Seaside Park on Wednesday
SEASIDE PARK -- Authorities in Ocean County are treating a garbage can fire on the beach in Seaside Park as suspicious after an ice cream hut several blocks away was deliberately set ablaze.
A Seaside Park police officer patrolling the beach on an all-terrain vehicle found flames and smoke coming from a garbage can on the 11th Avenue beach shortly before midnight on Wednesday, said Al Della Fave, spokesman for the Ocean County Prosecutor's Office.
Another officer responding to the scene extinguished the flames while members of the Ocean County Fire Marshal's Office and the prosecutor's Arson Investigation Unit were alerted, he said.
Jersey Shore ice cream hut fire was intentionally set, cops say
The fire was determined to have started inside the can, but the cause is unknown, Della Fave said.
But because of a fire at an ice cream hut several blocks away the day before this incident, investigators are labeling the garbage can fire suspicious, Della Fave said.
On Tuesday, police were dispatched to a gazebo that was on fire at the 2nd Avenue beach at 4:41 a.m.
Sammy, a K-9 accelerant detection dog of the Ocean County Fire Marshal's Office, detected the presence of ignitable liquids on the floor of the 10-foot by 10-foot gazebo, one of seven huts owned by the town on the beach from which ice cream is sold to the public.
Anyone with information about these cases can call prosecutor's Detective Christopher Bonner at 732 929-2027, ext. 2449. All information will be kept confidential.
MaryAnn Spoto may be reached at mspoto@njadvancemedia.com. Follow her on Twitter @MaryAnnSpoto. Find NJ.com on Facebook.