SOUTH BRUNSWICK – Two house fires hours apart in South Brunswick in the evening of May 16 destroyed two homes and left one person deceased.
The first fire was reported at 4:23 p.m. at 60 Riva Ave., the Bancroft Group Home. Firefighters and police officers arrived to find fire coming from several windows of the home with a heavy smoke condition throughout, according to information provided by the South Brunswick Police Department. The five occupants of the home had already made it out safely.
Firefighters briefly knocked down the fire from the outside as additional crews entered the structure to complete extinguishment and perform searches to confirm everyone was out, according to the statement.
Firefighters were able to quickly bring the fire under control, but not before the home suffered extensive fire, heat and smoke damage.
Firefighters from Monmouth Junction, Brookview, Kendall Park, Kingston, Monroe Fire District 3, East Brunswick Fire District 1 and North Brunswick Fire Co. No. 2 responded to the two-alarm fire. Additional firefighters from Jamesburg, Plainsboro, Griggstown, and Montgomery Township covered the South Brunswick fire stations during the incident.
“The firefighters conducted an aggressive fire attack to contain the fire under very punishing conditions,” Monmouth Junction Fire Chief Scott Smith said in a prepared statement. “This was a very hot, smokey fire that was spreading very rapidly. It was a tremendous effort by all firefighters on the scene.”
There were no injuries as a result of the fire, which is under investigation by the South Brunswick Township Police Department, South Brunswick Township Fire Safety Bureau, and the Middlesex County Fire Marshal.
The second fire was reported at 9:35 p.m. at 26 Pelham Road. Firefighters and police officers arrived to find a heavy smoke condition with fire through the roof.
Monmouth Junction, Kendall Park, Kingston, and several surrounding fire departments battled the blaze. The Kendall Park First Aid and Rescue Squad also responded to the blaze.
After the blaze was extinguished, firefighters located one person deceased in the home, according to the statement.
The Middlesex County Prosecutor’s Office, South Brunswick Police, and South Brunswick Fire Safety Bureau are investigating the case.