TOMS RIVER, N.J. — On Sunday, September 1st, at approximately 9:05 p.m., Toms River Fire Companies No. 1 and No. 2, along with East Dover Fire Company, responded to a report of a structure fire at 23 South Gateway.
The incident was quickly escalated to a 2nd Alarm Structure Fire, prompting the remaining Township Fire Companies and additional mutual aid to assist at the scene.
Firefighters arrived to find heavy smoke and flames coming from a second-story bedroom of the two-story single-family home, which was unoccupied at the time. Despite the swift response, two cats inside the home perished in the fire. A neighbor who had entered the house before the fire department’s arrival was treated at the scene for smoke inhalation but refused further medical attention.
The fire was confined to the second floor, but the entire house suffered significant smoke, fire, and water damage. The Toms River Bureau of Fire Prevention has ruled the fire accidental, attributing the cause to a failure of energized electrical equipment in the second-story bedroom. The investigation is being led by Inspector William Herbst.
Due to the extensive damage, the Toms River Building Department has declared the structure unsafe to occupy.