Firefighters Rescue Dog From Georges Road House Fire

South Brunswick first responders were able to save a family dog from a house fire at a residence on Georges Road this morning.

At 8:39 a.m. Friday, Georges Road resident Suzanne Strath-Joy returned home from dropping her daughter off at elementary school and found her kitchen on fire with heavy smoke filling the residence. Strath-Joy was able to get one of dogs out of the home, but was unsure what happened to her second dog Sophie, a 10-month old boxer.

South Brunswick Officer Ryan Bartunek arrived at the scene within minutes of the call and limited the spread of the fire using an extinguisher, according to police. 

Soon thereafter, the Monmouth Junction Fire Department arrived and began fighting the blaze in the kitchen, as firefighters Shane Raber and Dave Furch searched the residence for the missing dog.

Rabner and Furch were able to locate Sophie hiding under a bed in Strath-Joy's daughter’s bedroom, which was filled with smoke, according to police. The firefighters removed the dog from the house, and South Brunswick EMS workers administered oxygen to the pet.

Sophie was then reunited with her family after the oxygen treatment. There were no other injuries reported. 

The fire was brought under control in approximately 10 minutes, with fire damage contained to the kitchen and smoke damage spread throughout the home. The Monmouth Junction, Kendall Park, and Kingston fire companies responded to the blaze. All units cleared the scene by 10:15 a.m. 

The fire is currently under investigation by the South Brunswick Fire Safety Bureau. 

The residence was left uninhabitable as a result of the fire, so the family will be staying with relatives in the area, police said. 

“It was the scariest thing to see all the smoke," Strath-Joy said. "The firefighters did a great job, I am so thankful."