Woman, 91, And Her Dog Die Of Injuries Sustained In Eatontown Fire

EATONTOWN, NJ — The 91-year-old woman who was critically injured in last Monday's fire in Eatontown has succumbed to her injuries, according to the Monmouth County Prosecutor's office.

Her dog — which at last report was "barely hanging on" to life — also died.

Ethel John, 91, of Eatontown has died due to her injuries, said a spokesman for the prosecutor.

The fire broke out shortly after 10 a.m. last Monday at the Country Club Apartments off Rt. 35 in Eatontown.

The elderly woman lived in the apartment where the fire originated, and she and her dog was trapped inside the apartment.

Multiple people rushed into the burning apartment to try and save the woman and her pet. In total, five people were injured in the fire, with injuries ranging from being burned to suffering smoke inhalation, said a spokeswoman for Monmouth County Sheriff Shaun Golden.

Everyone had to be hospitalized, but the elderly woman was the most seriously injured and she was transferred to a secondary hospital the day after the blaze.

The dog, a male Terrier mix, suffered extremely serious burns and smoke inhalation, said Ross Licitra, the executive director of the Monmouth County SPCA.

The dog was "barely hanging on" last week, he said, and the animal was euthanized before the weekend, said the SPCA director.

The exact cause of the fire has not been publicly released, but it is not suspicious in nature, said the prosecutor's spokesman.

The woman's family was notified of her death. This GoFundMe has been started to help lay the woman and her dog to rest: https://www.gofundme.com/f/y2h...

Original Patch report: 5 People, Dog Critically Injured In Eatontown Fire Monday