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Tragic Fire Claims Toms River Home and Pets
According to Toms River Bureau of Fire Prevention, a fire that started Sunday night in a bedroom due to a short circuit in an electrical item killed two pet cats and rendered the house uninhabitable.
According to Matthew Janora, chief inspector with the Toms River Bureau of Fire Prevention, the fire at the two-story house on
South Gateway was reported at approximately 9:05 p.m. on Sunday.
Although the residents were away from the house when the fire broke out, Janora stated that a neighbor entered the house before the firemen arrived and suffered smoke inhalation. According to him, the neighbor was attended to on the spot and declined further medical care.
When the
East Dover Fire Company and Toms River Fire Companies
1 and
2 arrived, they discovered that a second-story bedroom was heavily engulfed in flames and smoke, according to Janora. After being raised to a second alarm, mutual help and the remaining fire companies in the township were called in.
The entire house suffered severe smoke, fire, and water damage, and the Toms River Building Department declared the building dangerous to occupy even though the fire was restricted to the second story, he added.
"The fire has been ruled accidental, caused by the failure of energized electrical equipment located within the second-story bedroom," Janora said.
The chief investigator on the case is Inspector William Herbst of the
Toms River Bureau of Fire Prevention.
