Woman killed in Belmar fire lived at home for decades, neighbors say

A fire erupted at a house in Belmar Wednesday killing one woman, according to Monmouth County prosecutors.
Several other homes were damaged by the heat and flames. News 12 was told two people were inside when it started and that one person got out, but an elderly woman died because of the fire. The Monmouth County Prosecutor's Office has not yet released the name of the woman.
Neighbors told News 12 the woman who was killed in the fire lived at the home full time on Surf Avenue for decades.
Wind-whipped flames with gusts to 50 mph made conditions difficult Wednesday for the volunteer firefighters who came from all over the Shore region to help stop the fire that began around 4 p.m. Despite the weather at the time, the bulk of the fire was knocked down within 90 minutes.
The cause of the fire is still unknown and remains under investigation by the Monmouth County Prosecutor's Office and the Monmouth County fire marshal.