STRUCTURE FIRE

Date & Time: Tuesday, October 7, 2008 – 2:29 p.m.

Location: 10321 Maple Leaf Drive, Lawrence Township, N.J.

Details: Lawrenceville, Lawrence Road and Slackwood fire companies were dispatched on Box 23-50 after a resident of the Avalon Run apartment complex called 911 to report seeing fire and smoke coming from the balcony of an apartment nearby. Police soon arrived and reported a working fire. As a result, at 2:35 p.m., Mercer County Central dispatched Engine 12 from Mercerville Fire Co. and Ladder Tower 17 from Nottingham Fire Co. to the scene. Fortunately, police and firefighters were able to quickly extinguish the blaze. Investigators later determined the fire started on the balcony of a third-floor apartment where a resident, who had been finishing a piece of furniture, had left a rag soaked in linseed oil. The oil-soaked rag, heated by the afternoon sun, spontaneously combusted and ignited a table and part of the balcony. Embers then fell and ignited the balcony of the second-floor apartment below. Police helped contain the fire by throwing water on the flames from a fish tank in one of the apartments. While damage was contained to the two balconies, the flames' intense heat shattered the sliding glass doors of both apartments. Rescue 22 was released at 3:04 p.m. and was back in quarters by 3:21 p.m. Apparatus that operated on the scene included: Telesquirt 23, Engine 21, Engine 22, Engine 12, and Ladder Tower 17.

Responding LRFC Personnel

Engine 22

Officer: Capt. Ed Budzinski	Driver: Paid Driver Robert Santello
Crew: Lt. Richard Laird III	Crew: Ff. Keith Kent
Crew: Ff. Michael Byrd	Crew: Ff. Michael Guala

All photos copyright (c) 2008 by Michael Ratcliffe