Holiday City Fire That Injured 2 Ruled Accidental: Prosecutor

TOMS RIVER, NJ — A fire at a home in Holiday City that injured two people on Sunday has been ruled accidental, the Ocean County Prosecutor's Office announced.

The people who were injured have been identified as Linda Summerton, 73, and Ricky McMurry, 73, Prosecutor Bradley D. Billhimer said.

First responders found them unconscious in the home in the Silverton section, and they had suffered significant burns, officials said.

The two were flown to the Burn Center at Cooperman Barnabas Medical Center in Livingston, where Summerton was stable and McMurry remained listed in critical condition on Tuesday, Billhimer said.

Three firefighters and a police officer suffered minor injuries and were treated at the scene, authorities said.

Billhimer said an extensive investigation by the Major Crime Unit-Arson Squad of the prosecutor's office, along with the Ocean County Sheriff's Office Crime Scene Investigation Unit, and Toms River Bureau of Fire Prevention determined the fire was caused by careless smoking while oxygen was in use.

Previous reporting:

• 2 'Critical', Severely Burned In Toms River Fire: Authorities
• 2nd Holiday City Fire Ruled Accidental: Toms River Fire Official

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