TOMS RIVER – If not for the quick actions of Township Police Officer Rebecca Sayegh, who forced her way through the front door of a home that was ablaze, the homeowner and several family pets may have perished.
A home on 600 Block of Loxley Drive caught fire on January 28 and police responded to the first report around 11:30 p.m. Upon their arrival they observed that the two-story house was fully engulfed in flames.
Officer Sayegh verified that while there were no other people inside than the homeowner who along with her pets, were relocated to a neighbor’s home. The occupant was treated by Toms River Emergency Medical services.
The officer had pushed her way through the front door and located the occupant in the front foyer. The woman had been unable to open the front door due to the heavy smoke.
Homes nearby were evacuated due to the threat of the flames spreading due to strong winds that were occurring. The weather proved challenging in the response to the blaze as firefighters had to deal with temperatures cold enough to cause water to freeze. Salt was put out on the roadway to aid with the freezing conditions.
Fire units from township fire companies 1 and 2 responded to the scene along with East Dover, Silverton, Pleasant Plains and Island Heights and Brick Township Fire and EMS Mass Care Response Team.
Aerial master streams were established to extinguish the heavy flames from the fire and a rehab unit from Brick Police was summoned due to the chilly temperatures. There was a report that a firefighter had been transported for a foot injury.
Also present were Toms River Police Detectives Roger Hull and Travis Seaman and Township Fire Inspectors Matthew Janora and Dana Mitchell.
Thus far, it is believed that the cause of the fire was accidental but an investigation by the Toms River Bureau of Fire Prevention is continuing.
