2nd Middletown House Fire Contained After Heeding FD's Advice

MIDDLETOWN, NJ — A fire broke out in a Middletown home Tuesday and — for the second time this January — the homeowner told firefighters she knew after reading public awareness campaigns to shut the door to where the fire started, a move that not only saved lives but countless dollars in potential home damage.

The fire broke out in a home on Walnut Avenue at 2:17 p.m. Tuesday, according to the Middletown Fire Department.

The homeowner said the fire started in a bedroom. She told firefighters that when she was unable to put it out herself, she knew to immediately close the bedroom door before running out of the house.

The homeowner told firefighters she read this public safety announcement and others the Middletown Fire Dept. published this January, after tragic fatal fires in the Bronx and Philadelphia. In those social media posts, firefighters told residents to always shut the door to where the fire originates, as that cuts off its oxygen supply and can prevent it from consuming the whole house.

"It should be noted that the homeowner proactively closed the bedroom door from which smoke was emanating," said Deputy Chief John Waltz. "The homeowner shared that she had learned of this fire control method published by the Middletown Township Fire Marshal’s office to social media two weeks earlier."

"This action by the homeowner restricted the fire to its room of origin," he said. "This the second time in just two weeks that this action has reduced the spread of fire in two separate structures in Middletown Township."

Just last Wednesday, a man on Heather Lane in the New Monmouth section said he knew to close the door when a fire started in his laundry room. Like this woman, he said he had read that tip on either the Middletown Patch or the Middletown Fire Dept.'s social media pages. In that incident, he actually suffered second-degree burns on his hands trying to put out the fire. Read: Middletown Homeowner Suffers Burns Trying To Put Out Fire

In the Walnut Avenue fire, when firefighters got there they found the home filled with smoke.

However, firefighters were able to put it out using nearby hydrants. Approximately 50 firefighters from four companies of the Middletown Township Fire Department responded to the call from Belford Engine, Community, Middletown Township Fire Company Number 1 and River Plaza Hose.

Nobody was injured.

Fire safety tips from Middletown Fire Department: Close doors behind you in a house fire.

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