OCEAN CITY – The fire that raged at Playland’s Castaway Cove on the Ocean City boardwalk Jan. 30 was determined to be accidental, officials announced Monday.
The blaze, which Ocean City firefighters, assisted by seven other fire companies, fought for hours, destroyed Castaway Cove’s office and arcade building. The rides and other outdoor parts of the amusement park were not damaged by the fire.
Multiple agencies, including the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), completed the investigation of the four-alarm fire and announced the preliminary findings on Monday, according to Ocean City public information officer Doug Bergen.
“The incident was determined to be an accidental fire from an undetermined electrical source near the front of the building,” Bergen wrote.
The fire that was reported at 7:40 a.m. that Saturday morning destroyed the adjacent Dairy Queen and Hamburger Construction Company businesses on the boardwalk.
The structure was unoccupied and nobody was injured in fighting the fire.
Bergen said the ATF National Response Team led the investigation with assistance from the Ocean City Fire Department Investigation Unit, Cape May County Fire Marshal’s Office, Cape May County Prosecutor’s Office and New Jersey State Fire Marshal’s Office.
Bergen said investigators were able to use a pattern of fire alarms, eyewitness accounts, photos and videos, a detailed excavation of the site and examination of forensic evidence to determine the cause and area of origin for the fire and conclusively rule out other possible causes.
Castaway Cove officials said the park will reopen this summer, but it will take longer to construct a new building.
ATF Special Agent in Charge Charlie J. Patterson said, “On behalf of the Newark Field Division, I am extremely proud of and grateful for the level of expertise and resources our agents and the ATF National Response Team deploy to every investigation.
“As investigators,” Patterson continued, “they dedicate their knowledge, skills, and abilities to each unique scene alongside our local, county, and state partners. As demonstrated in this joint investigation, our partners can rest assured that ATF will continue leveraging our expertise to support investigations across multiple agencies and jurisdictions.”
Smoke from the fire was visible for miles and flames shot high into the air as it took firefighters several hours to get the fire fully under control. A wind blowing from the west sent the smoke out over the beach and ocean.
Firefighters were able to keep the blaze from spreading to other businesses along the boardwalk.
