Dog Revived After West Wildwood Fire; Flooded Golf Cart Blamed

WEST WILDWOOD - A Jersey shore community is breathing a sigh of relief after a dog was pulled from a burning home and brought back to life on Thursday morning in West Wildwood.

The fire broke out at a home on the 600 block of West Maple Avenue, with the first calls coming in around 9 a.m., according to the Wildwood Fire Department. By the time crews arrived, flames had already consumed all three floors of the house.

Before firefighters could get there, officials said a father and son went into the home on their own to see if anyone was trapped inside. They didn't find any residents, but the search wasn't over — crews later came across a dog on the third floor that was unresponsive.

Emergency responders gave the animal oxygen and managed to revive it, then sent it to a local veterinarian for additional care. No other injuries were reported.

It took roughly 26 minutes for crews to get the upper hand on the flames, officials said. The home itself was left with significant damage, and the fire also damaged the siding on neighboring houses.

Now investigators are looking at an unexpected culprit: a golf cart that had been underwater during last weekend's nor'easter flooding. They believe the cart may have sparked the fire.

That suspicion has prompted a safety alert for everyone on the island. The Wildwood Fire Department is asking residents to steer clear of any battery-powered equipment that came into contact with floodwaters.

"The City of Wildwood Fire Department is urging all residents on the island not to use or charge any golf cart, e-scooter, e-bike, or other battery-powered equipment that was exposed to floodwater," the department said in a statement. "We urge you to move the equipment out of and away from any structure."

For our neighbors still cleaning up from the storm, that guidance is worth taking seriously — waterlogged batteries can fail in dangerous ways long after the floodwaters recede. If you have a golf cart, e-bike, e-scooter, or similar device that got wet, move it away from your home and don't plug it in.