Wood Stove Cited as Likely Cause of Route 601 Garage Fire

Nicholas Mistretta

A detached storage garage in the 300 block of Route 601 was destroyed by fire Thursday afternoon, prompting a large multi-agency response and the temporary closure of the roadway for more than three hours, according to the Montgomery Township Police Department.

Police said they received a call at 2:03 p.m. on Dec. 9 reporting heavy smoke from the property. Officers, along with Montgomery Fire Companies 1 and 2 and Montgomery EMS, responded and found the detached garage fully engulfed. Because of the garage’s location on the property and a lack of available water supply, officials activated the South Somerset County fire tanker task force, and crews battled the blaze for more than an hour.

Authorities also contacted the Somerset County Hazardous Materials Emergency Response Team due to concerns about potential hazardous materials stored inside the garage, including gasoline and oil. Montgomery Township fire marshals responded to investigate, and the initial findings indicate the fire originated from a wood stove left unattended in the garage.

No injuries were reported.

The police department said Route 601 remained closed for over three hours while fire operations and the on-scene response continued.

Photo Credit: Daniel Tadevosyan/shutterstock.com