Ocean View fire causes $1 million in damage

A May 3 fire that officials say started in combustible mulch caused $1 million in estimated damages to several Ocean View homes.

The fire was reported about 5 p.m. at a single-family home in the unit block of Scarborough Lane, and arriving Millville Volunteer Fire Co. firefighters and others found heavy flames on the home’s exterior. 

The house was occupied at the time of the fire, and residents leaving the home saw a pile of mulch on fire, with flames spreading into a tree next to the structure, officials said. Neither the residents nor anyone else were injured in fire, officials said.

Chief Deputy State Fire Marshal John Galaska said the fire originated in a pile of mulch located adjacent to the home. He said it was accidental in nature and was the result of natural spontaneous combustion of the mulch product. The fire spread and damaged three additional single-family homes for a total of $1 million in estimated damages, Galaska said.