3-alarm Fire at Apartment Complex in Toms River, NJ, Ruled Accidental; 4 Hurt
Officials in Ocean County say a fire at an apartment complex in Toms River over the weekend has been ruled accidental.
The blaze broke out around 1:30 Saturday afternoon at the Fairways at Bey Lea Apartment Complex on Inverness Drive.
The Ocean County Prosecutor's Office says, "upon the arrival of emergency personnel, heavy smoke and fire were observed coming from the structure’s roofing system. The building was evacuated without incident."
As the fire was being knocked-down, two firefighters, an emergency medical technician, and a resident sustained non-life-threatening injuries and were taken to local hospitals for treatment.
The Asbury Park Press reported the three-alarm blaze displaced as many as two dozen people.
A thorough and extensive investigation...determined that the fire originated on an exterior third floor balcony, and that improperly discarded smoking material cannot be eliminated as the cause of the fire. The cause of the fire has been ruled accidental.
Ocean County Prosecutor Bradley Billhimer said in a statement, "My sincere thanks to all the first responders who worked so tirelessly under the most extreme heat conditions. I am extremely grateful that no one was seriously injured."
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