TOMS RIVER, NJ – A fire at the Silver Ridge apartment complex in Downtown Toms River has displaced multiple families. The first call reporting the fire was received by 911 at around 11:20 pm Sunday night, according to the Toms River Township Police Department.
Upon their arrival, first responders saw a large number of people already out of the building, and other residents were knocking on doors to alert other families nearby of the fire.
One resident advised police and firefighters they had rescued a woman from an apartment but were not sure if anyone else was in the unit.
Toms River police officer Tyler Pinto climbed through a second balcony window and began searching as heavy smoke began to fill the apartment. He was unable to locate any additional victims in the unit.
“The apartment began billowing black smoke as Officer Pinto exited the balcony, and the Toms River Fire Department arrived on scene to extinguish the blaze and secure the building,” said Jillian Messina, spokeswoman for the Toms River Police Department.
The woman pulled from the apartment was rushed to Community Medical Center just blocks away and treated for smoke inhalation.
“Once the fire was extinguished, the apartment was again searched multiple times by firefighters and first responders but there was no sign of anyone else inside. Multiple apartments were damaged and deemed uninhabitable as a result of the fire,” Messina said. “The American Red Cross was contacted and responded to the scene to help aid the residents.”
Toms River Bureau of Fire Prevention, the Toms River Police Detective Bureau, and the Ocean County Prosecutor’s Office are investigating the cause of the fire.