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Fire burns down a house in Toms River where police say a woman and her dogs escaped unharmed. (Courtesy of Robert Catalano)

TOMS RIVER — A woman and her dog escaped unharmed from a blaze that engulfed her Toms River home Wednesday afternoon, authorities said.

The fire at 514 Gold Street broke out at 4:10 p.m., requiring fire units from Toms River, East Dover, Pleasant Plains, Silverton and Island Heights, said Ralph Stocco, spokesman for the Toms River Police Department.

Stocco said the homeowner got out of her house with her dog without any injuries. He said the fire broke out near the back of the house but it’s too early to determine the cause of the blaze.

Robert Catalano, director of marketing and communications at the United Way of Ocean County, said he was working two houses down when he saw the blaze and ran over to help.

"The smoke was too intense to enter," he said in a tweet to NJ.com. Catalano said the owner and one dog got out before neighbors were alerted to leave their homes.

The fire was deemed under control at 5:19 p.m. but the firefighters remained in place to extinguish any hot spots.

Toms River police and EMS units also responded to the blaze, Stocco said. He did not identify the homeowner.

MaryAnn Spoto may be reached at mspoto@njadvancemedia.com. Follow her on Twitter @MaryAnnSpoto. Find NJ.com on Facebook.