2nd South Brunswick Home Destroyed By Fire This Week

SOUTH BRUNSWICK, NJ — For the second time in a week, a fire has destroyed a home of a South Brunswick family.

This most recent fire occurred Wednesday afternoon, Jan. 30: At 4:30 p.m. South Brunswick police received a 911 call from a passing driver reporting a house on fire on Anderson Way. Monmouth Junction Fire Chief Scott Smith arrived in the development across from South Brunswick High School within three minutes to find heavy fire from the top and rear of the home. High winds led the flames to spread rapidly.

No residents were home at the start of the fire. Firefighters had to battle subzero wind chill temperatures and fierce winds to contain the blaze. The fire consumed much of the home and led the roof to collapse into the second floor, and the second floor to collapse into the first floor.

“No one was home at the time and the fire gained considerable headway before firefighters were even dispatched," said Chief Smith in a statement provided by police. "The freezing temperatures served to make fighting the fire more challenging, causing firefighters to have to be rotated to give them a chance to warm up in fire trucks and ambulances before re-joining the battle to extinguish the blaze. It’s been a long time since we have had a structure fire like this one in temperatures that were so brutally cold. The extreme weather is challenging on firefighters and our equipment, but everyone did a great job despite the conditions.”

Exactly one week prior, on Wednesday, Jan. 24, a fire on Fresh Ponds Road was destroyed by a fire after a cell phone charging in the basement overheated and ignited. Read that story: Charging Cell Phone Causes South Brunswick Fire

The South Brunswick Township Fire Safety Bureau is investigating the possible cause of the Jan. 30 blaze.

South Brunswick Police Chief Raymond Hayducka credited the firefighters with battling severe conditions. He said, “Firefighters did a tremendous job working in some of the coldest temperatures in memory. It’s usual to have two fires destroy homes and displace families in one week. Our community has a history of rallying to support one another and I am sure we will do it again.”

All three South Brunswick Fire Departments (Monmouth Junction, Kendall Park, & Kingston) responded to the 2-alarm fire, as well as firefighters from Plainsboro, Jamesburg & North Brunswick Co. #2. The Monmouth Junction, South Brunswick, Kendall Park & North Brunswick First Aid Squads responded to the scene.

The family is staying with relatives in the area. Community members have started a GoFund Me page. See link -https://www.gofundme.com/the-datla-family.

Information and photos provided by South Brunswick police.