Garage Fire Ignites, Firefighters Prevent Spread To Bridgewater Home

BRIDGEWATER, NJ — A garage fire was extinguished and stopped from spreading into a Bridgewater home on Saturday night thanks to the efforts of volunteer firefighters.

Just before 10 p.m., North Branch Volunteer Fire Company was called to a single-family home with a well-involved garage fire at 20 Elmara Dr.

Green Knoll Fire Department Chief Jim Driscoll was the first to arrive followed by North Branch Chief Zois Pournaras.

The family inside the home was able to escape and there were no injuries reported, said Pournaras.

The fire remains under investigation, but Pournaras told Patch the fire started in the garage. Extinguishing the fire was a bit tricky due to a six-gallon fuel tank being stored in the garage for lawn equipment.

Pournaras said the volunteer firefighters used three different water lines to douse the fire and were able to contain it to just the garage. The fire was extinguished in about 15 to 20 minutes.

The two-story home did suffer smoke and water damage causing the family to be displaced.

Additional crews from Country Hills, Green Knoll, Bradley Gardens, Raritan, Martinsville, Finderne, and County Hazmat all helped with extinguishment.

The fire was knocked down, and companies performed an extensive overhaul before clearing the scene around 1 a.m.

The cause of the fire is being investigated by the Bridgewater Fire Marshall’s Office.

The North Branch Volunteer Fire Company is a 100 percent volunteer fire department servicing the North Branch Section of Branchburg and Bridgewater.

For more information on how to volunteer or donation to the fire company visit nbvfc.org.

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