Crime & Safety

UPDATE: Eight Firefighters Hospitalized after Mobile Home Fire

Firefighters began experiencing burning eyes and light headedness after the blaze was extinguished.

What appeared to be a small fire this afternoon at the Monmouth Mobile Home Park resulted in eight firefighters being taken to Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital in New Brunswick to be treated for light headedness and burning sensations.

The fire, at 11 Maine Street in the Mobile Home Park, was reported at 3:55 p.m. Kendall Park Fire Chief Chris Perez said he arrived at the scene minutes after the call came in and observed the residence filled with smoke.  Firefighters made entry into the residence and found a fire in the bathroom area of the home. Perez said it took approximately 10 minutes for 25 firefighters to extinguish the blaze. 

After the fire was extinguished, two South Brunswick Fire Marshals began to investigate the cause of the blaze, police said.

"They reported having a burning sensation in their eyes and were feeling lightheaded," said South Brunswick Police spokesman Sgt. Jim Ryan.

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In addition to the two marshals, five firefighters from the Kendall Park Fire Department and one firefighter from the Kingston Fire Company complained of similar problems. All of the men who experienced issues were being examined at the hospital Tuesday evening, Sgt. Ryan said. 

The Middlesex County Hazardous Material team was at the scene of the fire assisting with the investigation as to what made the firefighters ill.

"It appears the resident had a lot of stuff gathered at the home so the cause of the irritation could've been related to the burning of those materials during the fire," Sgt. Ryan said Tuesday evening.  "Right now we just don't know what they were exposed to."

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The cause of the fire remains under investigation.


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