Fire Burns Through Roof on Hilton Avenue

Updated Jan. 31, 2012: It was a six year old girl — Kylie Keegan, from Franklin Avenue — who first saw the flames shooting through the roof of the home on Hilton Avenue while watching TV on Sunday night. She insisted her parents call 911 to report the fire.

Maplewood firefighters fought a blaze on Sunday evening that burnt through the roof of a three-story wood-frame house on Hilton Avenue. The fire was extinguished within an hour, and there were no injuries.

Residents were fleeing the rear of the home when the Maplewood Fire Department arrived after 7:30 p.m. Firefighters extended a line to the third floor and extinguished the fire as additional arriving Maplewood crews searched the rest of the building.

Maplewood Fire Department Platoon 2 responded to the fire under the command of Deputy Chief Walter Nugent and Captain Kevin Hayes. South Orange and Millburn fire departments responded for assistance.

"Everyone had safely made it out of the home," reported Maplewood FD Captain Joseph Callaghan. In addition, there were no firefighter injuries. Firefighter Joseph Alvarez of the Maplewood FD Fire Investigation Team responded to the scene and conducted the investigation. At this time, the cause of the fire is still undetermined. 

Callaghan said that the fire served as a reminder to everyone to practice their EDITH (exit drills in the home) and "make sure the batteries are fresh in their smoke detectors."

"If you are not sure what your best options are if there is a fire, contact the Maplewood Fire Department at 973-762-6500," said Callaghan, "and we will come out and help you devise an exit plan."