TOMS RIVER – Authorities continue to investigate the Thanksgiving morning blaze that displaced residents for several days.
Toms River Township Police are waiting to comment on the fire that broke out in a fourth-floor apartment of the Highland Plaza apartment building at 91 Highland Parkway. More than 100 residents were evacuated, and according to officials, 40 were lodged in the nearby Howard Johnson hotel. Those residents were able to return to their apartments around 1:30 p.m. Nov. 26.
Toms River Director of Emergency Management and EMS Paul Daley said ServPro worked through the weekend cleaning the water damage sustained by surrounding apartments. An electrician was also brought in to ensure the wiring was properly working. Repairs, such as replacing ceiling tiles, continues.
The apartment where the fire started is uninhabitable, Daley said. While he didn’t have much information, he did confirm that the building is a nonsmoking building, but that the resident engaged in careless smoking. That resident was taken to Community Medical Center for smoke inhalation treatment. No further information was available on that resident’s condition Tuesday.
