Neighbor rescue and battery concerns emerge after Toms River house fire
TOMS RIVER, NJ – A fast-moving house fire on Tuyahov Boulevard left a woman hospitalized and a neighbor injured after a rescue effort, as investigators later determined the blaze was accidental with possible links to lithium-ion batteries.
Emergency crews responded around 10:50 a.m. Monday to a reported structure fire at a residential property. When first responders arrived, they found that a female resident had already been pulled from the home by a neighbor.
Both the resident and the neighbor sustained injuries during the incident. The woman was transported to the Thomas Jefferson University Burn Center in Philadelphia, where she is listed in stable condition. The neighbor was taken to Community Medical Center in Toms River, treated, and released.
During efforts to control the fire, a firefighter also suffered minor injuries and was transported to Community Medical Center, where he was treated and released.
An investigation conducted by the Ocean County Prosecutor’s Office Major Crime Unit Arson Squad, along with the Toms River Township Police Department Detective Bureau and the Toms River Bureau of Fire Prevention, found that the fire originated in a bedroom on the south side of the home.
Officials ruled the fire accidental. Investigators stated that a failure involving lithium-ion batteries could not be ruled out as a possible cause.
The investigation has been completed.
Key Points
- Woman rescued from Toms River house fire by neighbor and hospitalized
- Firefighter and neighbor treated for injuries and released
- Fire ruled accidental with possible lithium-ion battery involvement