Christmas Day Garage Fire Ruled Accidental

A fire broke out in a West Caldwell garage on Sunday while a family was serving Christmas dinner, Chief Charles Holden said Wednesday.

The fire started in the storage area of a two-car garage behind the house at 20 Redman Terrace, Holden said. No one was injured, according to the chief, who said the fire has been ruled accidental. 

The fire was reported by someone inside the one-family home around 6:30 p.m. Sunday, when about a dozen people were gathered for Christmas dinner. Neighbors and a passerby who could see smoke coming from the rear of the house also reported the fire.

Storage shelves as well as the garage door were damaged. There were no cars parked inside the garage at the time.

“Nothing too earth shattering,” Holden said. “It was knocked down within minutes.”

Holden said the fire is believed to have been caused by the combustibles on the shelves, but the exact origin remains under investigation. Shelves were lined with “ordinary combustibles,” a bag of bird seed, gardening equipment and other normal storage items, the chief said. He added, “We checked the wiring, everything else seemed to be in order.”

West Caldwell Police, as well as the Caldwell Fire Department and the West Essex First Aid Squad, also responded to the scene, which was cleared by 9 p.m.

Correciton: The article originally read that the fire took place at 29 Redman Terrace.