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HIGHTSTOWN: Lightning causes three-alarm blaze

Several families displaced from stormy fire

By Amy Batista, Special Writer
HIGHTSTOWN — Lightning is the likely cause of a massive fire in a condominium complex Wednesday night that displaced several families, officials said.
Firefighters battled the lightning induced, three-alarm blaze in the Wyckoff’s Mill community on Powell Road Wednesday evening.
The fire broke out at 46 Powell Court, building six, at approximately 8:30 p.m. on July 2.
"Arriving units observed smoke coming from the roof of the dwelling, which quickly became engulfed in flames," said Detective Francisco Jimenez in a press release.
He said that when he first arrived on location that the police department reported "possible victims trapped."
"When the first units arrived on location, I had them go into the fire and attack, and I had them do a primary search," he said. "The primary search that we did came up clear. The fire had already spread throughout every unit on the second floor so at this point we wanted to control it from getting to any other buildings, which we did."
The fire was quickly escalated to three alarms, according to officials.
Hightstown Engine Co. #1 Chief Scott Jenkins responded to the fire within a "minute and a half" of being dispatched.
"When I arrived on location, we had a two-story multi-family wood frame structure with eight units with fire already (burning) through the roof," said Chief Jenkins.
A total of eight units were damaged in the fire, including four upstairs units that were destroyed and four downstairs units that were damaged by smoke and water, leaving a total of eight families displaced as a result of the incident.
Steve Bishop was home with his wife Wednesday night when the fire started in the condo above him and recalled how "fast" it happened.
"It was fast," said Mr. Bishop. "There was a lightning strike and just a clap of thunder. Some of the lights went out and then they came back."
About a minute later, he heard someone outside yelling, "there’s a fire."
Next, they started running out of the house.
"By that time, the flames were already behind and as high as the chimney," he said, adding that the fire started traveling across the roof to the other side.
"It was like a dream," he said. "That can’t be right."
Former Borough Councilwoman Skye Gilmartin and her husband Bob also lived in one of the lower-level condos and were just about to have dinner.
"Our steak dinner is still on the table," said Ms. Gilmartin. "We had been watching the lightning and then at one point we had looked out the window thinking it was lightning and it was (the) blue lights (of) the cops."
She said she poked her head out the door to see who was out there heard her neighbor Shawne and Patrolman Janine Krupa yelling to her to get out of the building.
"So we hustled and grabbed the pets," she said.
Ms. Gilmartin said she had her neighbor, Cara DeCristofaro, to thank for taking her and her husband and pets, including a rabbit and a cat, in that night.
"The (neighbors) were quite wonderful last night," she said. "They were new and didn’t know anybody and they became our neighbors very quickly."
Ms. DeCristofaro only recently moved into the neighborhood in March, two buildings over from where the fire started in building four.
"We just heard people screaming fire and my finance Shawne went outside in the rain and started banging on peoples doors telling them to get out and giving them our address because they just kept running into our house," she said.
Ms. Gilmartin said that the building next to hers was also evacuated.
"Within minutes, we were inundated with more (firefighting equipment) than I have ever seen," she said.
The fire was declared "under control" at 10:48 p.m., police said.
A total of 15 fire departments and four EMS agencies from surrounding towns responded.
"Between all the efforts of all the combined companies we were able to contain the fire to just (the one) building," Chief Jenkins said. "We were able to stop the fire from spreading to the first floor. However, there is heavy water and smoke damage on the first floor."
The displaced families were assisted with temporary housing by the American Red Cross staged operations at the complex’s clubhouse.
Mr. Bishop thanked the American Red Cross, the condo association, and first responders.
"They were amazing," he said.
He said that the Red Cross gave them three nights lodging at a hotel on Route 1.
The local Shoprite dropped off food donations to help displaced residents as well as food gift cards in addition to other community members and local churches that have been dropping off gift cards, food, pet food, and clothes to help the residents.
"The response was great and the response now of community members reaching out," Ms. Gilmartin said. "It’s just one of those perfect stories of living in a small town where everybody reaches out to help. It’s a great neighborhood."
One firefighter suffered a back injury while fighting the fire and was treated and released from a Princeton Hospital, according to Chief Jenkins.
"The firefighter, while fighting the blaze, fell down the stairs and other firefighters came to his aid and helped him and to the ambulance," he said, adding that the firefighter had sustained minor injuries from the fall.
One resident fell ill during the incident and was treated at the scene by EMS but refused medical attention, police said.
Mercer County Signal 22 Canteen was also on the scene offering food and water to first responders and the displaced residents.
Belfor Property Restoration was on scene the next day cleaning up the property and boarding up the condos.
"Normally the procedure is to board up only the windows that are broken," Ms. Gilmartin said. "For security sake, he has boarded up all of our windows and is having (a) 24/7 watch on the property."
She said that the neighbors are always meeting up under the rather unusual circumstances from grill fires to smoke detectors or carbon monoxide detectors going off, bringing them together outside and often bringing many of them together for the first time.
"You realize what’s really important," she said. "People are really good people."
Resident Lena Geller agreed.
"It’s amazing how everybody came together," said Ms. Geller. "I have never seen anybody be this supportive and this kind. It’s nice to know you are surrounded by good people."
Sometimes those good people come in the form of small things done by the firefighters that mean the world to the residents.
"The first thing we found on the lawn was the remains of our previous dog Ozzy," she said. "The first thing I said was he’s not leaving me."
She noted the box containing the remains was in perfect condition and the collar was even on top of it.
Her son, Alex, first noticed the portrait of her mother on the pile on the patio.
"The firefighters took out all my guitars, our laptops and they made a pile right by our patio over here," said her son Mr. Geller. "The moment I walked up to it my grandma (portrait) was looking right at me."
They lived in one of the upstairs condos and were home at the time of the incident.
"I was on the phone and I literally felt the lightning," she said. "It felt like it went in one ear and out another."
A few minutes later she was in the bedroom getting ready for bed when she heard someone knocking at the door telling her there was a fire.
"I thought I was just going to get to hang out on my porch and it was going to be over soon and they were going to let me go back in," she said. "Then a female officer pulled me over and told me I can’t stay here."
She said she couldn’t even watch as the fire destroyed her home.
"This is actually the first time I was able to look at it," she said.
A gofundme.com web page has been set up for the Geller Family by his boss, Holly Warwick, at Eden.
The goal is to raise $10,000, and as of Friday, more than 48 people have raised some $3,365 so far, according to the page.
"Preliminary findings suggested that the fire was started as a result of a lightning strike to the roof of the residence," Det. Jimenez said. "However, a final determination for the cause of the fire is still to be determined."
The Hightstown Borough Police Department is investigating the fire with the Mercer County Prosecutor’s Office Arson Unit, and the Mercer County Fire Marshal’s Office.