A roofer has been arrested as part of the investigation into the Jersey Shore inferno that destroyed three buildings last week and injured eight firefighters, authorities say.
Andrew Mayer, 28, has been charged with working without a permit, working without a license, and driving without a license, all disorderly persons offenses, according to the Monmouth County Prosecutor's Office.
Authorities say witnesses reported seeing a man doing roofing work on a building on Front Street in Keyport Friday afternoon before the fire broke out. Bob Deronde, who was working in the building where the blaze started, told NBC 4 New York Friday that a roofer ran into his office looking for a fire extinguisher.
It's still not clear what caused the fire. Because the building that collapsed had to be demolished, the exact cause is still under investigation, authorities said.
Eight firefighters and a Salvation Army worker were hospitalized with non-life threatening injuries from the blaze, prosecutors said. One of the three mixed-use commercial and residential buildings consumed by the fire collapsed.
Around 200 firefighters responded to the large blaze, authorities said.
Mayer was released on his own recognizance and is scheduled to appear in court at a later date. Attorney information wasn't immediately clear.
