Crime & Safety

16 Departments, 12 Hours To Extinguish Hillsborough Mulch Fire

​It took 16 fire departments in the area and about 12 hours to finally extinguish the large mulch fire on Tuesday.

HILLSBOROUGH, NJ — It took 16 fire departments in the area and about 12 hours to finally extinguish the large mulch fire on Tuesday.

The arge landscape debris pile fire was reported at 6:45 a.m. on Millstone River Road and caused large amounts of smoke. (See Related: Millstone To Reopen After Large Mulch Fire In Hillsborough)

Flagtown Fire Company's engine was called to the scene to pump water up the driveway from portable tanks, supplied by water tankers, which took about 12 hours to extinguish it, according to Flagtown Fire/Rescue - Hillsborough.

Find out what's happening in Hillsboroughfor free with the latest updates from Patch.

The tanks helped supply the ladder trucks from station 37 and 38 throughout the day. Tankers from 16 departments in the region were also called in groups to assist throughout the day, according to Flagtown Fire/Rescue - Hillsborough.

Millstone Valley Fire Department handled setting up two fill sites to refill the tankers.

Find out what's happening in Hillsboroughfor free with the latest updates from Patch.

As a result, Millstone River Road was closed all day from Amwell Road to Amsterdam Drive and Blackwells Mills Road was also closed. Roads didn't reopen until 3 a.m. on Wednesday.

Residents in the southeast area of the township were warned to avoid outdoor activity as a result of the fire, the town announced.

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