Discarded Cigarette the Likely Cause for Lavallette Apartment Fire

A fire rips through a Lavallette apartment building. (Photo: Kevin Barron)

A fire that swept through a Lavallette apartment building early Thursday morning has been ruled accidental, authorities said Friday.

The fire, at 1806 Grand Central Avenue, produced one minor injury: a resident suffered smoke inhalation while jumping from the second story to escape the blaze. His injuries were considered minor, according to the Ocean County Prosecutor’s Office.

A fire rips through a Lavallette apartment building. (Photo: Kevin Barron)

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Al Della Fave, spokesman for the prosecutor’s office, said an investigation determined that the area of the fire’s origin was on the exterior of the south side of the structure, along a balcony style walkway on the second floor. 

The point of origin was on top of outdoor carpeting that lined the floor of the walkway in between units seven and eight, he said. The cause of the fire is deemed accidental “and improperly discarded smoking material cannot be eliminated as the cause of the fire.”