Authorities: Toms River Townhouse Fire Was Accidental, Displaced Three-Dozen Residents

A fire at the Fairways at Bey Lea complex, July 15, 2023. (Credit: Catherine Galioto)

A weekend fire that led to several injuries and displaced more than three-dozen residents has been preliminarily ruled accidental, fire officials said late Monday.

The Toms River Bureau of Fire Prevention said in a statement that the fire at the Fairways of Bey Lea community that occurred Saturday at 1:30 p.m., displaced 37 people from their homes, which were deemed uninhabitable following the blaze. The Red Cross, the agency said, stepped in to help the residents make housing arrangements.

There were no major injuries, however two firefighters, one EMT and one resident sustained minor injuries and received prompt treatment.

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The investigation into the three-alarm blaze, which took five hours to contain, is still ongoing and being jointly conducted by the bureau, Toms River police and the Ocean County Prosecutor’s Office. Investigators have made a preliminary determination, however, that the fire was accidental in nature.

“It is believed to have originated from an outside, third-level balcony of a unit in Building 30,” the statement said.

No details were released on what, exactly, sparked the blaze.