Toms River Police said in a statement that
Officer Rebecca Sayegh forced entry through the front door and found the homeowner in the foyer.
She had been unable to open the door and exit due to the heavy smoke in the home.
Officer Sayegh confirmed that there was no one else inside the residence and helped the homeowner, and her pets, outside and across the street to the neighbors residence where she was evaluated by Toms River EMS.
Due to strong winds at the time, other responding officers evacuated surrounding residences.
Townsquare Media New Jersey Meteorologist Dan Zarrow said that the temperatures and winds combined last night made this a tough fire for crews on scene.