Belmar House Fire Leaves Father And Son Dead

BELMAR, N.J. (CBSNewYork) -- Officials said a house fire on the Jersey shore has left an elderly man and his adult son dead.

The blaze broke out Monday just after 9:30 p.m. on 14th Avenue. Neighbors described the smoke and flames coming from the home.

"What I saw, at that point in time, was nothing but a billowing of smoke -- a column of smoke going up," neighbor Charlie Tor said.

"The whole house was totally engulfed," neighbor Trina Clapsis said. "The flames were shooting out the windows."

Even with crews from five different fire departments responding, a 49-year-old man and his 84-year-old father living inside were killed along with their dog, CBS2's Ali Bauman reported.

"When they got here, they did their best to put it out and go inside, but it was far too late," Belmar Mayor Matt Doherty said.

The windows of the home were blown out, the walls were melted and the front porch was just a skeleton of the shore house it once was, Bauman reported.

The walls of the house next door also melted. The residents inside say they evacuated in a smoky blur.

"I didn't see anything until the policeman banged on the door, knocked on the door to evacuate," neighbor Gene Sova said. "It happened so fast."

In a town filled with beach goers, the home was a yearly rental and was recently renovated after Superstorm Sandy. The tenants had been in Belmar for about three years.

"Typically, people come to Belmar for our beaches and beautiful sunny days, but unfortunately we had a tragedy last night. It happens rarely, but when it does, it's horrible," the mayor said.

CBS2 spoke with the girlfriend of one of the men over the phone. She said they are still notifying family, but said the 49-year-old man is survived by his 13-year-old son and 10-year-old daughter who were not there at the time.

The Monmouth County Prosecutor's Office said autopsies on the victims are set for Tuesday.

The cause of the fire is under investigation, but officials said it does not appear suspicious.