Jackson Fire Claims Life Of Woman, 82: Prosecutor

JACKSON, NJ — An 82-year-old woman died Thursday night and a second person was injured jumping from the second story of a burning home in Jackson, the Ocean County Prosecutor's Office said Friday.

The woman, whose name has not yet been released, was found on the first floor of the Lehigh Boulevard home after the fire was extinguished, Prosecutor Bradley D. Billhimer said.

The second person suffered minor injuries, and a pet dog remains unaccounted for, he said. One Jackson police officer was treated at the scene for smoke inhalation, and a second officer was treated at Monmouth Medical Center Southern Campus in Lakewood for minor injuries and released, Billhimer said.

The fire was reported about 8:45 p.m. Thursday, and Jackson police and firefighters found the house completely engulfed in flames.

Billhimer said the cause of the fire remains under investigation by the Ocean County Prosecutor’s Office Major Crime Unit's Arson Squad, Ocean County Sheriff's Office Crime Scene Investigation Unit, Ocean County Fire Marshal’s Office, Jackson Township Fire Bureau, and the Jackson Township Police Department.

Assisting at the scene were the Ocean County Road Department and the Ocean County Regional Urban Search Team.

More information will be released once it becomes available, the prosecutor said.

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