Two Hospitalized After Overnight Montgomery House Fire

Nicholas Mistretta

MONTGOMERY, NJ — Two residents were hospitalized for smoke inhalation and a dog died following a late-night house fire Sunday on County Route 601, according to the Montgomery Township Police Department.

Police, Montgomery Fire Companies No. 1 and No. 2, and Montgomery EMS were dispatched at approximately 10:47 p.m. Oct. 5 to a single-family home in the 300 block of County Route 601 for a reported residential fire. According to police, the homeowners awoke and discovered a heavy smoke condition inside the residence. Both were able to evacuate safely before emergency crews arrived. The two residents were treated at the scene by Montgomery EMS and transported to Penn Medicine Princeton Medical Center for smoke inhalation. The residents’ dog did not survive the fire. The cause of the fire remains under investigation. Police said the initial investigation indicates the fire appears to have originated in a living room containing a space heater. Authorities have not determined what caused the fire, and the presence of the space heater has not been identified as the confirmed cause.

The Somerset County HazMat Team also responded after several lithium batteries were located inside the residence during firefighting operations. In addition to Montgomery’s two fire companies, firefighters from Rocky Hill, Hillsborough, Hopewell and Millstone Valley responded to assist. The home sustained enough damage that it was declared uninhabitable following the fire. No additional information regarding the residents’ conditions or the cause of the fire was released.

Photo Credit: Nicholas Mistretta/headlinenewsmontgomery.com