Apartment Complex Evacuated After Fire Spreads From Wastebasket

About 20 people were evacuated from an apartment complex in downtown Toms River after 7 a.m. Wednesday, in a fire confined to one unit, officials said.

Toms River Fire District 1 Chief Sam Seaman said that when the first officer on the scene arrived, he found residents on the porch of the complex, saying “We don’t know if he’s in there.”

Seaman said the officer checked the door and it was hot, so the officer forced entry into the apartment to search with another officer and see if it was occupied.

“Thankfully the apartment was empty,” said Seaman. One hose line extinguished the fire, he said, while the evacuees were staying out of the weather on a bus borrowed from .

Michael Mastronardy said the fire was extinguished in 20 minutes and there were no injuries to residents or emergency personnel.

The Parkway Manor apartment complex, on the corner of Lien and West Water Street, forced the brief closure of Lien Street as engines from , and responded.

Evacuees returned to their homes after gas and other utility companies were able to shut off utilities to the one apartment affected, Seaman said.

James Mercready, of the Toms River Bureau of Fire Prevention, said that the bureau’s investigation determined the fire began in the kitchen area as an accidental fire in a wastebasket.

“Inspector Kevin Britton determined that an accidental fire occurred, and has been attributed to improperly discarded smoking materials in a plastic garbage can in the kitchen area of the apartment,” Mercready said.

Seaman said the operation went smoothly, and credits the cooperation of residents with aiding in a quick evacuation.

Mercready said the apartment complex’s fire detector triggered the call to the fire department, and also alerted other residents of the fire.