Multialarm fire injures four in Franklin

FRANKLIN (Somerset) – A blaze that broke out in a residential home shortly after noon in the Somerset section of the township injured three women and a girl on Saturday afternoon, April 11.

According to Franklin's Police Department spokesman Sgt. Philip Rizzo, multiple 9-1-1 came into the police department at 12:19 p.m., reporting a residential structure fire on Willow Avenue.

Rizzo said the patrol officers found smoke and fire coming from the residence when they arrived. When the fire started, four females — ages 65, 31, 27, and 10 — were inside the residence and all had escaped prior to the arrival of emergency personnel. Each one suffered smoke inhalation and they were transported to various hospitals. The 27- and 10-year-old females were transported to St. Peter's University Hospital in New Brunswick. The 65- and 31-year-old were transported to Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital, also in New Brunswick. The 65-year-old female was later transferred to St. Barnebas Burn Center in Livingston, Rizzo said.

Rizzo added that the blaze required firefighters from numerous companies, including from Somerset Fire and Rescue, Middlebush Fire, Elizabeth Avenue Fire, Millstone Valley Fire, Community Volunteer Fire and Griggstown Fire from Franklin, South Bound Brook Fire, Bound Brook Fire, Middlesex Borough Fire, River Road Fire from Piscataway and Finderne Fire from Bridgewater. He said emergency medical personnel from Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital, and emergency medical services from the East Millstone section of Franklin, Somerville and Hillsborough were also on scene.

The fire debris pile was briefly reignited early Sunday morning, Rizzo said.

"This was the debris that was pulled out of the house earlier," he said. "The house did not reignite. The fire department was back out at the site for about an hour at 3:15 a.m., pouring water on the pile to make sure it would not reignite again."

The cause of the fire is currently under investigation by the Franklin Township Office of Fire Prevention. The initial investigation revealed that the fire does not appear to be suspicious in nature, Rizzo said.