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The fire was in a building at The Willows at Toms River apartment complex on Wednesday, Sept. 18, the township's fire prevention bureau said in a news release. Firefighters responded to 1000 Axl Drive at around 2:23 p.m.
The first crews found a small grease fire started on a stove in one unit. The flames spread to the microwave, causing the sprinklers to activate and extinguish most of the fire.
The water damage from the sprinklers spread into two other units. The Toms River Building Department ruled that all three affected units were unsafe.
The New Jersey chapter of the American Red Cross said it was helping 12 people from three families with immediate needs like food, clothing, and housing.
The fire prevention bureau also said this was the second fire in a week extinguished by a building's sprinkler system.
"This shows that properly maintained and fully functional fire alarm and sprinkler systems protect lives and property," said Matthew Janora, chief inspector of the fire prevention bureau. "Had the sprinkler system not activated, the outcome of this fire may have been much different."
The fire was determined to be accidental because of "unattended cooking" on the stove.
"You should never leave the kitchen when you’re cooking on the stove," Janora said. "Unattended cooking is a leading cause of home fires throughout the country."
Crews were at the scene for about two hours.
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