Neighbor Saves Family From Burning Toms River Home

TOMS RIVER, NJ — A neighbor who saw flames rising up the side of a Toms River home helped the family evacuate safely late Saturday night, according to fire officials and the homeowner.

The fire at the home on Leawood Avenue was reported at 11:43 p.m. Saturday, said Matthew Janora, chief fire inspector for the Toms River Bureau of Fire Prevention.

Video from the homeowner's doorbell camera, shared by Jersey Shore Hurricane News, shows the neighbor at the door yelling to the family that house is on fire and they need to get out, as flames crackle beside the porch.

All four family members — two adults, a 17-year-old and a 9-month-old baby — and the family's dog were able to escape unharmed, the homeowner, Jonathan Pope, said on a GoFundMe campaign created to help bridge the gap for immediate needs while they await assistance from their insurance company.

Firefighters who responded found a fire that had started outside and spread to the house, affecting the garage door, porch stairs and up to and into the attic and a second-floor bedroom, Janora said.

Multiple Toms River fire companies responded to the working structure fire and were able to bring it under control, Janora said. There were no injuries.

The fire, which significantly damaged the home, was determined to be accidental, Janora said, and started when smoking materials were discarded improperly and ignited "surrounding combustible storage, including cardboard boxes and a township-issued trash container, resulting in fire extension to the home."

The home was deemed unsafe for occupancy by the Toms River Township Building Department, he said.

Pope said the family escaped with only clothing and is receiving some assistance from the American Red Cross.

"We extend our gratitude to the first responders and the American Red Cross for their support thus far," he wrote on the GoFundMe campaign.

The Pleasant Plains, Silverton, East Dover, and Toms River Fire Companies 1 and 2 responded to the fire, along with Toms River police, Toms River Police EMS and utility companies, Janora said.