Fire Destroys New Providence Home, Fundraiser Set Up For Neighbors

NEW PROVIDENCE, NJ — A large fire engulfed and destroyed a New Providence home on Wednesday. A GoFundMe fundraising website has been set up for the residents who lived in the house for the past 40 years.

On Jan. 22 at 8:16 a.m., a 911 call reported a fire at a home on Woodruff Court in New Providence.

When the New Providence Volunteer Fire Department arrived at the house in about four minutes the alarm was raised to a second alarm for a single-family dwelling fully involved with fire on all sides.

Firefighters used five hose lines and the department's ladder truck to fully extinguish the fire.

The residents, Tom and Pat Kirkup, were home at the time but evacuated before the Fire Department arrived. The fire was placed under control in about an hour and a half.

Both residents were taken to an area hospital by New Providence EMS for further evaluation. There were no reported injuries from firefighters on scene.

A neighbor of the Kirkups has since launched a GoFundMe fundraising website to help.

"Their New Providence home, for the past 40 years, caught fire and burned nearly to the ground. Thank God, they both survived with little injury- but are of course heartbroken over the loss of their home where they raised their family," said neighbor Dan Mulligan who set up the fundraiser.

Additionally, the family's orange cat named Max survived the fire but ran off. Mulligan is asking the public to lookout for Max off Livingston Avenue in New Providence.

The fundraiser has raised more than $20,000 since being launched on Wednesday. To donate or more information visit gofundme.com/f/help-tom-and-pat-after-fire.

In addition to New Providence and Berkeley Heights, departments from Chatham Township Volunteer Fire Department, Chatham Borough Vol Fire Dept. Assoc., Scotch Plains Fire Department, City of Summit Fire Department and Springfield Fire Department helped on the scene. Plainfield and Town of Westfield, NJ Fire Department Fire Departments provided coverage for the Borough in the event of any additional incidents.

Also on scene were Union County Fire Mutual Aid Coordinators, Union County Emergency Services, New Providence EMS, Mountainside Rescue Squad, Elizabeth NJ EMTs Local 87 with a Medical Ambulance Bus (MAB) for firefighter rehab, New Providence Police and New Providence Office of Emergency Management and New Providence Department of Public Works.

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