TOMS RIVER — A house fire in Toms River on Monday morning left a resident, a neighbor and a firefighter injured, and investigators said the blaze was accidental.
Ocean County Prosecutor Bradley D. Billhimer said police and fire crews were dispatched at about 10:50 a.m. April 13 to a home on Tuyahov Boulevard after a report of a structure fire.
Authorities said a neighbor rescued a woman from inside the residence before first responders arrived. The woman and the neighbor were both hurt in the blaze.
The resident was airlifted to the Thomas Jefferson University Burn Center in Philadelphia, where she was reported in stable condition. The neighbor was transported to Community Medical Center in Toms River, where he was treated and later released.
A firefighter also suffered minor injuries while crews worked to put out the blaze. He was taken to Community Medical Center, treated and released.
Investigators determined the fire began in a bedroom on the south side of the home.
Officials said the blaze was accidental, although they could not rule out a failure involving lithium-ion batteries as a possible cause.
The investigation was conducted by the Ocean County Prosecutor’s Office Major Crime Unit-Arson Squad, the Toms River Township Police Department Detective Bureau and the Toms River Bureau of Fire Prevention.
