MIDDLESEX BOROUGH, NJ - A half dozen Gramercy Garden Apartments were evacuated but no one was injured during an afternoon house fire on Thursday, Jan. 22, authorities said.
Police received several 911 calls around 12:45 p.m. reporting an active fire at the Gramercy Garden Apartments. Upon arrival, police found heavy smoke coming from Apartment 52 of the complex and evacuated six apartments there.
An investigation revealed that the fire started in Apartment 52 but was already out before police arrived. A Metuchen resident who was visiting his girlfriend at Apartment 50 was able to put out the fire with a fire extinguisher and water, police said.
There were no reported injuries and nearly everyone was returned to their apartments. The man who rents Apartment 52 was not allowed back into his apartment due to fire damage to the wall and carpet in the living room, where the fire started, authorities said.
The Middlesex Office of Emergency Management and American Red Cross sheltered the man, police said. The Humane Society also responded to pick up a dog that was removed from Apartment 49, police said.
The cause of the fire was not immediately known, and it is still under investigation, police said. |
