A woman was found dead inside a Highland Plaza apartment in Toms River after firefighters battled a blaze that broke out late Friday night. Responders discovered her on the living room floor after spotting smoke pouring from a second-floor unit at the Highland Parkway complex.
According to Jersey Shore Online, Toms River police and fire crews responded to the apartment complex around 11:20 p.m. on October 23. Crews saw smoke coming from the second-floor unit and found the woman on the living room floor as they searched the apartment, the outlet reported. Separately, RLS Media reported that emergency crews were on the scene at the address, 91 Highland Parkway, by approximately 11:41 p.m.
Authorities have not released the woman's name. Jersey Shore Online reported that officials are withholding her identity until it is confirmed and her next of kin is notified, while RLS Media likewise reported that the victim's identity had not been released as of Saturday.
Conflicting Accounts of the Fire's Cause
Accounts of what sparked the fire differ. Jersey Shore Online reported that investigators determined the blaze was accidentally sparked by careless smoking, tracing its origin to a couch against the living room's east wall. RLS Media, however, reported that the cause of the blaze remained unknown. Ocean County Prosecutor Bradley D. Billhimer's office said police and fire departments were dispatched to the Highland Plaza Apartments for a report of a structure fire, according to a statement posted on the Ocean County Prosecutor's Office website.
The investigation into the fire's cause and origin involved multiple agencies, Jersey Shore Online reported, including the prosecutor's arson squad, the Ocean County Sheriff's Office crime scene unit, Toms River police detectives and the township's Bureau of Fire Prevention.
Not the First Fire at Highland Plaza
This is not the first time fire has struck the Highland Plaza complex. Fire officials said careless smoking was also blamed for a 2018 blaze that damaged the complex, according to the Asbury Park Press, which reported that fire broke out on the fourth floor of the building.
Careless smoking has also been tied to other serious fires in Toms River. In March 2022, a house fire on Mount Everest Lane critically injured two 73-year-old residents after being caused by careless smoking while oxygen was in use, Prosecutor Billhimer announced at the time, as reported by NJ.com. Both residents were flown to the Burn Center at Cooperman Barnabas Medical Center for treatment, and three firefighters suffered minor injuries battling that blaze and were treated at the scene.
Nationally, fires blamed on careless behavior have been trending upward. Federal data compiled by the U.S. Fire Administration shows that residential building fires attributed to other unintentional, careless causes rose 42 percent over the ten-year period from 2014 to 2023, while deaths from such fires climbed 50 percent over the same span.
No further details on the woman's identity, her residency status at Highland Plaza, or any additional injuries have been released. Hoodline will update this story as more information becomes available.
