The fire started in an engine compartment of one of the buses, authorities said.
TOMS RIVER -- A fire on Friday that badly damaged three township-owned school buses originated in one of the buses' engines and was ruled an accident, authorities announced on Tuesday.
The fire, which started in the engine compartment of bus #240, spread to two other school buses parked nearby, said Al Della Fave, spokesman for the Ocean County Prosecutor's Office.
A Ford F150 pickup truck was also damaged from exposure to the flames, Toms River police spokesman Ralph Stocco said.
The fire started around 2:40 a.m. at the Toms River Regional School Transportation Center on Industrial Way.
A Toms River police officer who was on patrol noticed smoke emanating from the area.
The fire was extinguished by Toms River Fire Companies 1 and 2.
The investigation was handled by the Ocean County Prosecutor's Office Arson Unit, Ocean County Sheriff's Department Crime Scene Investigations Unit, Ocean County Fire Marshal's Office K-9 Unit, Toms River Bureau of Fire Safety and the Toms River Police Department.
Alex Napoliello may be reached at anapoliello@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @alexnapoNJ. Find NJ.com on Facebook.