By Lea Kahn, Staff Writer
A discarded match touched off a fire in a third-floor apartment at the Lawrence Plaza Apartments at 2350 Princeton Pike, near the Lawrence Shopping Center, around 10:30 a.m. May 9, according to Lawrence Township officials.
The victim was attempting to strike a match to light a cigarette when the match flew out of her hand and landed on the couch, Fire Marshal Dale Robbins said. She tried to put it out with some water, but was unsuccessful. She ran out into the hall and grabbed a fire extinguisher, but could not put the fire out.
The victim called the Police Department to report the fire, according to police Lt. Mark Ubry. The police received calls from other residents and neighbors, as well as the alarm company that all reported an active fire.
When police officers and the township’s daytime crew of paid firefighters arrived, they saw heavy black smoke coming out the window, Lt. Ubry said. The building’s residents were evacuated while firefighters put out the fire. It was declared under control at 10:58 a.m.
The fire was contained to one apartment, but other apartments in the “B” wing suffered some smoke and water damage, Lt. Ubry said. The residents were allowed back into their apartments later in the day, except for the resident of the unit where the fire originated.
Two residents received minor injuries, Lt. Ubry said. One resident needed oxygen and the other resident received a cut on the foot from broken glass. Both were treated at the scene by emergency medical services personnel, he said.
Firefighters from the three Lawrence Township volunteer fire companies Lawrenceville, Lawrence Road and Slackwood responded, along with the Lawrence Township Emergency Medical Services.
Firefighters also responded from the Prospect Heights and Pennington Road fire companies in Ewing Township, and the Hamilton, Colonial and Mercerville volunteer fire companies in Hamilton Township.
