Cornell Avenue House Fire Believed to Be Accidental Due To Faulty Electrics

Battalion Chief, Jim Hopkins issued a release on Saturday regarding Friday’s house fire on Cornell Avenue, Berkeley Heights. The fire department was notified about the reported house fire at 2.31pm, and on arrival Deputy Chief Padovano discovered that the fire had started in the kitchen and was quickly growing and was soon to spread to other rooms in the house.

Engine 4 quickly arrived on the scene, deploying a hose line through the front door, while tower 1 was busy sending a team to cut a hole in the roof, as to check for extension and also vent the super heated gases and smoke out of the home. The incident commander, Padovano, had declared that the fire was under control in just three quarters of an hour. The fire was quickly put out, and contained only to the kitchen; however, the rest of the house suffered damage from smoke, according to Hopkins.

Fire-fighters from Chatham Township and Watchung conducted a search of the premises to check for any victims, which proved to be negative. The residents of the property were not at home during the time of the fire, although several pets where removed to safety, which included one dog and two guinea pigs. Oxygen was administered to the dog.

Additional Mutual Aid was from Stirling and New Providence. Union County Fire Mutual Aid provided two engines from Scotch Plains and Summit and a Tower Ladder from Plainfield to cover the township in the event of another emergency. The cause of the fire is believed to be caused by an electrical fault in the consumer unit.

One firefighter suffered minor injuries and was treated at the scene. Shortly after crews returned to quarters Squad 1 responded to a house fire on Meyersville Road in Chatham Township. Since the start of the New Year the Fire Department has responded to 48 incidents which included broken Car fires, motor vehicle accidents on Interstate 78, water pipes, and several crews that responded in Long Hill Twp to assist in the search for David Bird.