By Eileen Oldfield, Staff Writer
While no one was harmed during a March 3 structure fire at the Camp Agnes DeWitt Girl Scout Camp, the Hillsborough Police Department and Hillsborough Fire Safety Department are investigating the blaze that destroyed the camp’s program center.
Hillsborough Police received a report of a structure fire at the camp at around 6:55 p.m. that day, and, upon reaching the scene, reported finding the burning building, according to a release from the department. The building was unoccupied at the time, and the Girls Scouts Heart of New Jersey confirmed there were no programs in session during the fire. While an unspecified staff member reported the fire, no camp volunteers or Girl Scouts were on site at the time, the organization said.
The Hillsborough Township Fire companies, rescue squad, fire safety, office of emergency management, and department of public works responded to the scene, as did fire companies from Little Rocky Hill, Griggstown, Manville, Pennington, Hopewell, Country Hills, Montgomery, Bradley Gardens, and Millstone Valley, Hillsborough Police said.
Despite the building’s destructionthe fire departments determined the building could not be saved after arriving at the campthe summer day camp season will be held, and camp staff will be making arrangements for the various programs.
”The camp’s going to be fully operational for programs this summer,” Nancy Zimmerman, senior director of marketing and communications for the Girl Scout Heart of New Jersey, said. “We’re ready to go forth with camp this summer.”
The camp has four additional buildings on the site that can be used instead of the destroyed center, Ms. Zimmerman added. The program center was a multi-purpose building, which would house several activities during the camp.
Camp Agnes DeWitt is a 152-acre day camp located on Zion Road, and typically offers seven weeks of summer camp for girls in grades one through 10.
Anyone with information on the fire can contact the Hillsborough Township Police Department at 908-369-4323 ext. 8, or through email at [email protected].
