The fire that raged across the Jersey Shore boardwalk last Thursday has been ruled accidental.
The fire blazed across the boardwalk just barely a year after Hurricane Sandy hit the east coast, as previously reported. The fire was deemed a 10-alarm and destroyed numerous businesses.
After investigations, over the last few days since the fire has been put out, by numerous government agencies, the cause of the fire was determined to be at the fault of an electrical malfunction, according to USA Today. 68 businesses were lost as well as four blocks.
The fire originated at the Kohr's Frozen Custard building. The wiring was old and had been previously damaged from the hurricane.
Ocean County Prosecutor Joseph D. Coronato said, "Today I'm confidently bringing some sense of closure to this tragic event, affording many owners of the destroyed and damaged businesses the ability to now take measures to rebuild and recover."
N.J. Governor Chris Christie promised to help provide money to remove debris on the boardwalk. The money is coming from a grant that was used for Hurricane Sandy relief.
The estimated damage to just the boardwalk is at least $1.88 million.