A home at 28 Radtke Road was deemed uninhabitable after a Tuesday morning fire that appears to have started under a desk, fire officials said.The fire was reported by a resident of the home, who called township police at 9:45 a.m. Tuesday, said police Lt. Don Smith. A woman and her son live in the home, but their names were not released. No injuries were reported."The son was home at the time and smelled a plastic odor on the upper floor," fire official Ray Stromberg said. "He checked and could not locate anything. He checked again 10 minutes later and found the fire in his bedroom."The son called 911 and tried to put out the blaze with a fire extinguisher.
Township police, firefighters and EMS 9 were dispatched, and first responders -- who coincidentally had been at a Sussex Turnpike child-care center giving a fire prevention program -- responded with a full crew within four minutes, Stromberg said.Firefighters arriving on the scene found that the fire was still burning and extended out of the bedroom into the hallway, Stromberg said.Fire units fought the blaze from the interior of the home and reported at 10:12 a.m. that the fire had been knocked down.The blaze appears to have started under a desk in the second-floor bedroom, Stromberg said."There was an outlet that was burned along with numerous wires," he said, adding, "An exact cause could not be determined, but it did not appear suspicious."First Energy responded to pull the meter and the Randolph Township Building Department arrived to access the house.
The home was not destroyed but was deemed uninhabitable, Stromberg said. It sustained heavy fire damage in the bedroom of origin and heavy heat and smoke damage on the upper floors. There was no structural damage.Officer James Cacciabeve reported that several neighbors had offered the family shelter, and the mother and son said they had a place to go but didn't specify where.Mutual aid was requested from the Dover and Denville Fire Departments. Roxbury Fire Company No. 1 and Chester Fire Department were asked for standby assistance.
-Daily Record
Gateways Apartments
August 2008
Randolph Fire Department was dispatched to a possible room and contents fire at Gateway's apartments on Center Grove Road. The call was dispatched at 12:12am on August 23, 2008. Company 2 was one of the first to respond. Fire was extinguished within minutes. The residence was fully ventilated and there was minimal damage. The fire was believed to be started by a candle. No injuries were reported.
An early morning fire damaged more than two-thirds of a Randolph office building, authorities said. Randolph fire and rescue officials responded to a call at 1:30 a.m. from a motorist passing the 1030 Route 10 West building, where a fire started on the east side of the structure and moved west, police said. The fire was believed to be accidental. One firefighter was injured when the 1000 gallon per-minute deck gun (located on top of the truck) failed and blew off when pressurized. The firefighter sustained minor injuries, being hit in the face by a high pressure stream of water.
The 1.24-acre property was the site of Jack Gold Surgical Appliances, a business specializing in prosthetic and orthotic devices for nearly 40 years. The business' owner, Joshua Shenkman, was in the process of moving the company to a new location. The property was for sale at $699,900.
-Morris County Star Ledger
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Morey Lane
December 2006
A fire that started in a two-car garage attached to a Morey Lane house spread and caused extensive damage to the rest of the two-and-a-half story home. No one was injured. Fire officials said the investigation was still under way, but neighbors and the owners of the home reported hearing a loud explosion before seeing flames in the garage.
"We heard a bang in the kitchen," said homeowner Bill Mino. "The we saw smoke in the breakfast room," which is on the second floor of their home and overlooks the garage. Mino and his wife Fran, called police and immediately left the house. Fire Chief Mark Forstenhousler said firefighters were originally dispatched to a car fire at the home. The fire subsequently spread from the garage to the first floor of the house which suffered extensive damage, Forstenhousler said. The fire was brought under control about a half-hour after the initial call was made, firefighters had problems with the hoses freezing due to cold temperatures, Foresetenhousler said. All 4 Randolph fire companies were called, and Denville fire companies also responded to the scene. Friends and neighbors responded to the scene as well. They provided blankets and hot chocolate to the Mino family.
-Daily Record, Kristina Fiore
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Spring Hill
May 2006
A fire that extensively damaged a home on Springhill Road appears to have originated in a large garbage bin that was placed next to the house, which was undergoing renovation, police said. The family escaped the house and no injuries were reported.
Meanwhile, fire officials continue to investigate the cause of another fire Monday, that destroyed a large home on Quail Run.
The fire was reported at 9:36 p.m. and appears to be accidental. There was extensive fire damage in the house. At least half or two-thids had fire damage. The rest had water and smoke damage. The two story home was undergoing renovation, and a 10-cubic-yard bin was on the side of the home to collect debris, which included carpet, phone books, and paint cans.
It appears something within the dumpster ignited. The flames from the bin spread to a nearby deck, and then moved to the home. The homeowner was with his wife and three children.
The neighbors, had opened their door to greet their daughter when they saw the flames and reported them.
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Quail Run
May 2006
As radios chattered through the county with brush fire activity, Randolph's fire tones went out on May 2nd. Expecting only another brush fire, Randolph Fire Department was dispatched for a report of a working house fire.
Upon arrival, the house was more than half involved, and high winds were pushing the fire even further and created a brush fire. All four Randolph fire companies responded to the scene. Dover, Roxbury and Chester and Parsippany assisted the 2 alarm blaze. The New Jersey Forestry Service responded to put out a brush fire ignited by embers from the burning structure.
The blaze started around 2 p.m. No one was injured, although the family's 1 year old pet dog perished in the blaze. The fire appears to be accidental, police said.
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Bennett Ave
2005
A kerosene heater had been used to warm the home at 14 Bennett Ave in Randolph. It apparently sparked a fire that destroyed the home's second floor. No one was home when the fire started a little before 10:45 a.m. The fire was under control in about 15 minutes after Randolph Fire Department was dispatched with Dover Fast Team.
-Daily Record, Bob Karp
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Mountainside
July 2005
Two elderly home owners tied bed-sheets together and lowered themselves to safety from their bedroom window after a fire broke out in their home in the early morning. Randolph Fire Department was dispatched with a general alarm at approximately 4 a.m., and arrived on scene to flames coming out of the rear of the structure. Dover fast team was quickly dispatched, EMS-9, Randolph Rescue, Chester assisted as well as Brookside. Firefighters battled the blaze for many hours into the late morning.
Shortly before the dispatch, the home owners were awakened by their smoke alarm sounding. When one of the homeowners went to the stairs, he saw smoke and flame. He ran to his room, closed the door and continued to tie the bed sheets to escape through the window with his wife. They both escaped safely. There were no casualties or injuries.
Randolph firefighters had to return to the scene at 10:11 a.m that morning, and again at 7:47 p.m. the following day to extinguish the rekindle.
The rear portion of the home was built in 1799 with the front portion added in the 1940's. "Due to two buildings built with two different codes, a fire can get deep into the walls and rekindles are not uncommon", Yarzab said.
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Randolph Diner
February 2005
The Randolph Fire Department extinguished an early morning fire at the Randolpolph Diner on Rt.10 East and Center Grove Road. The fire was reported at approximately 6:45 a.m. and started in the stove area. A general alarm was dispatched and all 4 companies responded. The fire was initially extinguished by employees, although it spread to exhaust ducts near the roof of the building. Firefighters quickly investigated any further extension of fire into the structure until deemed safe.
-The Star Ledger
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Canfield Mews Explosion
June 2004
At approximately 9:52 p.m, Randolph Fire Department was dispatched for an explosion on the second floor at Canfield Mews, apartment complex. Firefighters battled the blaze for hours, leaving 12 families homeless. A total of 4 apartments were at a total loss. The rest remained uninhabitable for some time after.