Crime & Safety
Sprinkler System Stops Fire In Toms River Condo Complex
Smoke alarms going off alerted a neighbor, fire prevention chief says
Investigators are trying to determine the cause and origin of a fire at the North Point Hollow condominium complex in Toms River Thursday evening.
The fire at 904 Scarlet Oak Ave. caused only minor heat, smoke and water damage, after the condominium’s sprinkler system was activated by the fire, said James Mercready, director of the Toms River Bureau of Fire Prevention. Smoke alarms alerted a neighbor, who called the fire in at 5:25 p.m., he said.
The Pleasant Plains and Silverton fire companies responded and upon arrival, Pleasant Plains Fire Chief David George forced entry into the first-floor unit and found a heavy smoke condition, Mercready said. Upon further investigation, George found a single fire sprinkler activated and spraying water in a bedroom where it appears the fire originated, he said.
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The unit was found to be unoccupied at the time of the fire.
“The effectiveness of fire sprinklers has once again been proven as there was only minor heat, smoke and water damage in the affected unit, with no structural damage occurring to the building,” Mercready said.
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The two-story condominium building consists of eight single-family dwellings. All of the units with the exception of 904 Scarlet Oak Ave. were allowed to remain occupied, as there was no damage to any of the other units. The fire sprinkler system in the complex was required when the complex was originally built in the 1990s. The building consists of wood frame construction, which could have resulted in a catastrophic fire without the benefit of a fire sprinkler system.
“A properly designed and maintained fire sprinkler system combined with properly installed, maintained and tested smoke alarms are essential elements in fire and life safety,” Mercready said.
Inspector John Novak of the Toms River Bureau of Fire Prevention is conducting the fire cause and origin investigation.
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