A structure fire heavily damaged a home in the Cedar Glen Lakes section of Manchester Township on Friday evening, but no injuries were reported.

At approximately 5:54 p.m. on Friday, officers from the Manchester Township Police Department responded to 1 California Drive for a report of a structure fire. Upon arrival, officers observed the entire garage side of the residence, along with a vehicle in the driveway, fully engulfed in flames.

Authorities quickly confirmed that the home was unoccupied at the time and that the three residents were not injured. As a precaution, nearby homes were evacuated while emergency crews worked to contain the blaze.

Multiple fire departments responded and were able to extinguish the fire before it spread to additional homes or vehicles.

Assisting agencies included the Whiting Volunteer Fire Department, Manchester Volunteer Fire Department, Ridgeway Volunteer Fire Department, Joint Base Fire Department, Lakehurst Volunteer Fire Department, New Egypt Volunteer Fire Department, Forked River Volunteer Fire Department, Bayville Volunteer Fire Department, Pinewald Pioneer Volunteer Fire Department, Lacey Volunteer Fire Department, Manchester EMS, Manchester OEM, the Ocean County Fire Marshal’s Office, and the American Red Cross.

The cause of the fire remains under investigation by the Ocean County Fire Marshal’s Office and the Manchester Township Police Department Investigations Bureau. The American Red Cross is assisting the displaced family with temporary housing and essential needs.