One person remains in critical condition following a house fire in Ocean County that started "due to improperly discarded smoking material."

The blaze started around 8:00 this past Wednesday night, February 7th, at a home on Berkeley Avenue in Berkeley Township.

The Ocean County Prosecutor's Office says upon arrival, emergency personnel observed heavy fire coming from the front of the structure and three occupants were outside.

3 Injured

Two of the three were taken to a hospital in Toms River where they were treated for minor injuries and released.

A third person was airlifted to Jefferson Health Burn Center in Philadelphia where he was last reported to be in critical but stable condition.

Fire Department personnel were able to extinguish the fire and the scene was secured until the following morning.

Cause of the Fire

An extensive and thorough examination by the Ocean County Prosecutor’s Office Major Crime Unit-Arson Squad, Ocean County Sheriff’s Office Crime Scene Investigations Unit, and Ocean County Fire Marshal’s Office, revealed that the fire originated in the southwest corner of the living room of the structure. The cause of the fire was determined to be accidental - due to improperly discarded smoking material.