Good samaritans heroically clear units at Silver Ridge Apartments fire in Toms River, NJ

It was a total team effort in response to and putting out the fire at the Silver Ridge Apartments on Edgewood Drive in Toms River late Sunday night with rescues taking place thanks to two good samaritans in another unit.

Toms River Police said that responding officers to the blaze around 11:20 pm saw many residents already outside of the units and knocking on doors to assist in a total clearing of the building.

Police said that they also came in contact with Jordan Finkle and Dominic Dowd "who advised that they just assisted in rescuing a woman from the burning apartment and, although they did not see or hear anyone else, the female told them there was another person inside." 

An officer, Tyler Pinto, then climbed the balcony to look for anyone else who was trapped but didn't see anyone in there and just as he left, black smoke began increasing out of the unit.

The Toms River Fire Department led efforts in putting out the flames and secure the building, police said, and after it was, the apartment was searched several more times over by first responders but it was the confirmed nobody else was inside the units.

The aforementioned woman who was rescued from the apartment was brought to Community Medical Center for treatment of smoke inhalation.

As a result of the fire, several apartment units were damaged and are now uninhabitable.

Those displaced were helped on scene by the American Red Cross.

Toms River Police said that the cause of the fire is unknown but remains under investigation by the Toms River Bureau of Fire Prevention, the Toms River Police Detective Bureau, and the Ocean County Prosecutor's Office.

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The Ocean County Sheriff's Department CIU, multiple fire companies, and CSO/EMTs also responded to the fire.

Toms River Police also said, "we would like to acknowledge the quick-thinking and heroic actions of the residents who came together to ensure everyone was able to get out of the apartments safely! Also to Samantha Batiato who, along with neighbors, rendered aid to the victim and monitored her condition while waiting for first responders to arrive."