TOMS RIVER – A fire that broke out in an apartment complex has left about a dozen people without homes, officials said.
The fire occurred Wednesday afternoon in a building at The Willows at Toms River apartment complex, 1000 Axl Drive.
Firefighters found heavy smoke and a small grease fire that started on a stove in one unit, with the flames spreading to the microwave. This caused the sprinklers to activate which extinguish most of the fire, officials said.
However, water damage from the sprinklers spread into two other units. As a result, three units were deemed unsafe by the Toms River Building Department. The American Red Cross and Toms River Office of Emergency Management responded and provided assistance to about 12 people who had been displaced, officials said.
The Toms River Bureau of Fire Prevention stated that the fire was ruled accidental due to unattended cooking on the electric stovetop.
“I would like to take the opportunity to remind everyone that you should never leave the kitchen when you’re cooking on the stove. Unattended cooking is a leading cause of home fires throughout the country,” said Matthew Janora, Chief Inspector. “Also, this is the second fire in the past week that was extinguished and/or held in check by the building fire sprinkler system. This shows that properly maintained and fully functional fire alarm and sprinkler systems protect lives and property. Had the sprinkler system not activated, the outcome of this fire may have been much different.”
Crews were at the scene for about two hours. Assisting were Pleasant Plains Fire Department, Silverton Volunteer Fire Company, East Dover Fire Company, Toms River Fire Company No. 2, and Whitesville Fire Company.
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