Investigation points to smoking as cause (April 6)
By: Rob Heyman
WASHINGTON Officials said careless smoking was to blame for a fire that broke out in a home in the Foxmoor development Saturday, injuring its owner and killing the family dog.
The blaze began at 5:17 a.m. at 36 Stratton Court. Responding fire crews encountered what they described as heavy heat and smoke emanating from the home, with flames extending 10 feet out of the rear windows and roof.
"The fire started breeching the wall to the neighboring dwelling and firefighters did a great job keeping the fire from spreading to other attached homes in the complex," said township Fire Chief Kevin Brink.
Although the homeowner, Joan Delorenzo, was able to escape the fire, her dog was not.
"Due to the excessive amount of smoke and flames, no entry was possible to go in to rescue the animal," said Detective Vince Estelle of the Washington Police Department.
He added that the homeowner did suffer burns to her face, head and hands and was initially transported to Robert Wood Johnson Hospital at Hamilton and later to Capitol Health System-Fuld Campus and then to Temple University Hospital, from which she was released on Monday.
No one else was in the home at the time of the fire and no other injuries were reported.
Responding to the blaze were the Washington Township Fire Department, Nottingham Fire Company, Groveville Fire Department, Mercer Fire Company, West Windsor Fire Company and Hope Fire Company in Allentown.
The fire was extinguished within several minutes after crews arrived.
Chief Brink said Tuesday afternoon that the investigation into the fire has been completed and careless smoking was determined to be the cause.

