Cranford's Fatal Fire Victim Identified

CRANFORD, NJ - The identity of the woman who lost her life in the fatal fire that swept through Brookdale Place on Thursday was confirmed to be 65-year-old Deborah Meehan, according to the Cranford Police Department.

Investigators are still looking into the cause of the fire, but Cranford Fire Chief Daniel Czeh said it was accidental.

The Cranford Police Department responded to a reported house fire on Brookdale Place shortly after 3 p.m., officials said. The Cranford Fire Department, along with several neighboring
municipalities, fought the fire down which had engulfed the two-story home.

"Upon arrival, Cranford units encountered a large volume of fire on the second floor, attic and the rear exterior of the house," Czeh said.

According to Czeh, crews entered the structure to begin suppression efforts.

"Union County Mutual Aid was requested and various fire departments responded to the scene to assist," Czeh said.

Meehan was found inside the home and was pronounced dead on scene shortly thereafter, officials said.

The cause of death is initially unknown and the body was transferred to the Union County Medical Examiner’s Office, where an autopsy is being performed, officials said. The cause of the fire has been deemed accidental and through a preliminary investigation is believed to have started on the first floor of the home. An ongoing investigation by the Union County Fire Investigation Task Force is continuing, police said.

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