Smoking Leads to Fire at Manchester Mobile Home

A carelessly discarded cigarette led to a fire at the Pine Acres Manor mobile home park Sunday, leaving one person hurt, Manchester Township Police said.

Heavy smoke was coming from the home when Officer Brian Collins arrived on the scene just after 6 p.m., police said, and the homeowner, Lisa Cottrell, was out on the front lawn, having difficulty breathing.

Manchester First Aid squad members took Cottrell to Community Medical Center in Toms River for treatment, police said, and the Manchester and Ridgeway fire companies put out the fire.

An investigation by Manchester Police, the Ocean County Prosecutor’s Office and Ocean County Fire Marshal pinpointed the discarded cigarette as the cause, police said.