2 Dogs Die, Family Of 3 Displaced After Westfield House Fire

WESTFIELD, NJ — Two dogs were killed and a family of three was left displaced following a Sunday morning house fire in Westfield.

On May 7, at 10:21 a.m., the Westfield Fire Department went to 412 West Broad Street for a report of a residential structure fire, said Westfield Chief Michael Duelks.

Westfield Fire Department units arrived at 10:23 a.m. to find a 2 and a half story single-family home, with heavy fire showing from three sides of the first floor, said Duelks.

Firefighters began an aggressive interior fire attack, with a search of the inside of the home to confirm everyone was safely evacuated, said Duelks.

The fire escalated to two alarms which called in Union County Fire Mutual Aid companies along with the Westfield Police Department to help with security, traffic, and crowd control. The Westfield Rescue Squad, along with emergency medical services from around the county, also helped with firefighter rehabilitation.

The fire was placed under control at 10:58 a.m., with firefighters staying on the scene into the afternoon hours.

The Red Cross of New Jersey came out to the scene and is "helping a family of 3 with Red Cross emergency assistance for temporary lodging, food and clothing needs."

A GoFundMe fundraising website was set up for the family following the fire, which the organizer claims ignited in the kitchen and took all the belongings of the Mckeon family.

"Luckily the family was not present at the time of the incident however, tragically their dogs, Hooper and Brody, were found deceased in the aftermath of the fire," wrote Vince Boado on the GoFundMe site.

"Now within all the misfortunes of this incident were calling out for a helping hand to gather funds for the family. So let's collectively come together as a community to help out the Mckeon family!" said Boado.

To donate visit gofundme.com/f/funds-to-help-mckeon-family.

The fire was investigated by The Westfield Fire Prevention Bureau, The Westfield Police Department, The Union County Fire Investigation Task Force, and The NJ State Fire Marshal’s office.

The cause of the fire is still under investigation at this time. The Westfield Construction Official deemed the dwelling uninhabitable.

"The Westfield Fire Department reminds everyone that working smoke alarms save lives. Make sure that your smoke alarms are tested monthly and are less than 10 years old," said Duelks.

For more information on fire safety, contact the Westfield Fire Prevention Bureau at fireprevention@westfieldnj.gov.

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