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On Tuesday, Aug. 2, at 09:19 a.m., Middlesex Police Lt. Thomas Falk observed heavy black smoke and found a vehicle on fire at 4 Smalley Ave., police said.
The fire originated in the engine compartment of a truck that was on the property and spread to three other vehicles and the structure of a business, American Power Cord Corporation.
The Middlesex Fire Department arrived and requested a second alarm activation.
Fire companies from the Dunellen Fire Department, Green Brook Fire Department, Bound Brook Fire Department, Finderne Fire Company, Green Knoll Fire Company, River Road Fire Company, New Market Fire Company, North Stelton Fire Company, Elizabeth Avenue Fire Company, Somerset Fire and Rescue Company, and South Plainfield Fire Department, along with staff from the Middlesex County Bureau of the Fire Marshal, the Middlesex County Hazardous Materials Unit, and the Middlesex County Department of Emergency Management arrived to assist.
Emergency Medical Services from Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital and Hackensack Meridian Health at JFK Hospital also responded.
Middlesex Police Chief Matthew P. Geist said, “Lt. Falk’s efforts in locating the fire and initiating the dispatch of our fire department show the importance of an active and visible police force.
"The quick arrival of our police officers, the Middlesex Fire Department and the assisting fire companies from our surrounding communities helped to minimize the spread of the fire and ensured the protection of the surrounding property," Geist said. "I applaud the work of the firefighters and responders who worked in the extreme heat to extinguish the fire.”
The incident is under investigation by the Middlesex County Bureau of the Fire Marshal.
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