8b59750ba660b13b5f545eb65596ecf2.jpg

MANVILLE: House fires leave families homeless

By Mary Ellen Zangara, Special Writer
   Two Manville residences were damaged by fire in the past five days. The fires put families out of their homes but no one was injured.
   On April at 7:05 p.m. several neighbors on White Avenue in the Weston section of town reported a fire after hearing a pop and a loud bang. Residents at 424 White Ave. got of the their home as the thick black smoke and flames shot out of the upper level of the house.
   Within minutes, all three Manville fire companies responded and went to work to control the fire. Tower 42 was the primary force with the ladder to put out the flames shooting from the roof.
   White Avenue was blocked with fire trucks as neighboring fire companies also came to help. Crews from Hillsborough, Finderne and Somerville along with the Manville First Aid and Rescue Squad, Hillsborough and Somerville squads were all on the scene.
   The fire, which took about two hours to get under control is still under investigation, according to fire officials.
   On Tuesday afternoon shortly around 12:50 p.m., another fire took a home and again no one was hurt. The residents at 246 East Camplain Road were able to get out but the homeowner was taken to the hospital for treatment of smoke inhalation, according to police Lt. John Crater.
   ”We got a call from a neighbor as well as patrols responding to the area for a smell of smoke. It is under investigation, the Somerset County Prosecutor’s Office is going to assist with this. It looks like the whole house is pretty much destroyed. When I got here, it was definitely fully engulfed,” Lt. Crater said.
   Hillsborough, Somerville and Finderne fire companies assisted the Manville fire companies. The Red Cross set up a station, and first responders from Hillsborough also assisted.