FRIDAY FIRES DISPLACE FAMILY AND DESTROY FEDEX VAN
At 2:13 PM on September 6
th, the Monmouth Junction Fire Department, South Brunswick Police, and South Brunswick EMS were dispatched to 7 Old Ridge Road for a reported grease fire in the kitchen. First responding police officers and the Fire Chiefs arrived within 2 minutes and observed black smoke coming from the single-family home with a working fire in the kitchen in the rear of the residence. All occupants of the home self-evacuated but advised first responders of two pet dogs still inside. Firefighters rapidly deployed two hose lines into the home, bringing the fire under control within minutes. Additional firefighters entered the home to perform a search and ventilate the heavy smoke condition. Firefighters located the two dogs and brought them outside to EMS personnel. South Brunswick EMS transported the two dogs with CPR in progress to South Brunswick Animal Hospital, but unfortunately, both dogs did not survive.
The American Red Cross responded and provided housing for the displaced family.
While firefighters were still on scene on Old Ridge Road, crews were dispatched at 2:53 PM to Ash Court in the Whispering Woods development for a reported truck fire. Firefighters from Brookview and Griggstown, who were covering South Brunswick fire stations, responded to the scene to find a Fed Ex delivery van on fire approximately 20 feet away from the townhouse. Firefighters quickly extinguished the fire with no damage to the building.
“Firefighters did an outstanding job today, arriving quickly and bringing the house fire under control within minutes,” according to Monmouth Junction Fire Chief Scott Smith. “The home suffered significant smoke and heat damage but could have easily been much worse if not for the efforts of firefighters. This was a textbook example of teamwork and aggressive firefighting that was able to save the home.”
Responding to the two-alarm fire were firefighters from all three South Brunswick Township volunteer fire departments (Monmouth Junction, Kendall Park and Kingston) and the daytime career staff, as well as Plainsboro, Jamesburg, & North Brunswick Company #2. Crews from Brookview, Griggstown and Montgomery Company #2 covered South Brunswick fire stations.
Both fires are under investigation by the South Brunswick Township Fire Safety Bureau.
