TWO-ALARM STRUCTURE FIRE

Date & Time: Saturday, June 7, 2008 – 9:32 a.m.

Location: 405 Redding Circle, Princeton Township, N.J.

Details: At 9:27 a.m. all three Princeton fire companies – Princeton Engine #1 (Station 61), Princeton Hook & Ladder Co. (Station 62) and Mercer Engine #3 (Station 63) – and the Princeton First Aid & Rescue Squad (Squad 168) were dispatched for a possible structure fire. Police and Ambulance 168-3 arrived on scene at 9:31 a.m. to find heavy smoke and fire showing from the front of one unit in an apartment building, with a victim down on the front lawn. The unconscious woman, who was reportedly rescued from the burning apartment by a neighbor, was carried to a safe location by police officers and administered oxygen. She and two other residents of the apartment building were transported to University Medical Center at Princeton, where they were treated for minor injuries and later released. With confirmation of a working fire, Engine 53 from Rocky Hill Borough (Somerset County) and Lawrence Road’s Rescue 22 were dispatched as the balance of Box 60-20’s first alarm. Princeton Lieutenant 63-1 then arrived on location and immediately requested a second alarm, resulting in the dispatch at 9:36 a.m. of units from the Kingston (Middlesex County Station 24), Montgomery #2 (Somerset County Station 46), Hopewell Borough (Station 52) and Plainsboro (Middlesex County Station 49) fire companies. Rescue 22 responded at 9:36 a.m. and arrived on scene to assume rapid intervention team duties at 9:49 a.m. The blaze, which investigators said began in the kitchen as the result of unattended cooking, was knocked down by 9:56 a.m. and was officially placed under control at 10:05 a.m. Apartment #405 and two neighboring units were damaged as a result of the fire. Apparatus that operated at the scene included: Engine 61, Ladder Tower 62, Squirt 63, Engine 63, Rescue 168, Special Services 60, Rescue 22, Engine 24, Ladder Tower 46-126, Ladder Tower 49, Engine 52-1, Engine 53, Ambulance 168-3, and Ambulance 145-3 (West Windsor). Rescue 22 was recalled at 10:45 a.m. and was back in quarters at Station 22 by 11:06 a.m.

Responding LRFC Personnel

Rescue 22

Officer: Lt. Joseph Dlabik Jr.	Driver: Ff. Shaun Dlabik
Crew: Capt. Michael Byrd	Crew: Lt. Evan Kutzin
Crew: Ff. Keith Kent	Crew: Ff. Ryan Dlabik

Car 22-1

Deputy Chief John Fleming

Video copyright (c) 2008 by Brian McCarthy

All photos copyright (c) 2008 by Steven Kadir and Brian McCarthy NewJerseyFirefighters On Scene