JACKSON – No one was injured when a fire broke out in a residential unit at the Bella Terra assisted living facility on the morning of Oct. 9, but some residents were evacuated to Jackson Liberty High School as emergency crews responded to the scene.
According to the Jackson Police Department, at 7:15 a.m., emergency responders converged on Bella Terra, 2 Kathleen Drive, when a fire alarm was activated as a result of a fire on the third floor. The building’s sprinkler system extinguished the fire, according to police.
Police said firefighters entered the building and confirmed that the fire had been extinguished. According to a press release, the fire did not appear to be suspicious in nature.
Police said 33 residents of Bella Terra were evacuated to a temporary shelter that was established at Jackson Liberty High School and 26 residents were transported from the scene by family members. A total of 44 rooms were evacuated.
There were no reported injuries at the scene, according to police.
Messages left at the administrative offices of Bella Terra on Oct. 10 by the Tri-Town News were not returned.
The fire at Bella Terra brought a large response of personnel from many departments.
From Jackson, representatives of the mayor’s office, the Office of Emergency Management and the Building Department were at the scene.
Jackson fire stations 54, 55, 56, 57, Howell fire stations 19-3 and 19-5, Lakewood Fire Station 65, the Ocean County Fire Marshal and the Ocean County Fire Coordinators responded to Bella Terra.
The county fire coordinators are dispatched when three or more fire companies are dispatched to a fire or other incident. Their function is to coordinate mutual aid response and stand-by fire coverage for the companies that have been dispatched to an incident, according to http://wiki.radioreference.com/index.php/Ocean_County_(NJ)_Fire_Coordinators
The Jackson Police Department and the Ocean County Sheriff’s Department were at the scene.
Emergency medical services consisted of the following: Ocean County EMS Coordinator, Quality Medical, Jackson First Aid, Howell First Aid, Lakewood First Aid, Allentown First Aid, Ramtown First Aid, Farmingdale First Aid, Roosevelt First Aid, Millstone Township First Aid, Brick Township Police EMS Mass Casualty Response Unit, Monmouth County Sheriff’s Office EMS Staff, New Jersey EMS Task Force, Monmouth County Medical Ambulance Bus No. 6 from Keyport First Aid, Monmouth County Medical Ambulance Bus No. 2 from Shark River Hills First Aid
and Special Operations Vehicle- Central.