Fire Pit Malfunction Sets Chatham Township Home Ablaze

CHATHAM, NJ — A residence in Chatham Township and Chatham Borough each had a fire incident within them this past Friday night.

In Chatham Township, a fire on Susan Drive started at about 6:30 p.m. on Sept. 10, after the resident lit their fire pit, Chatham Township Police Chief Thomas Miller stated in a news release on Monday.

A malfunction in the fire pit set the home’s back deck ablaze, Miller said, with the unidentified homeowner attempting to quell it. He wasn’t able to control the fire, Miller added, with it migrating to his home.

Though there were no injuries, it took the Chatham Township Fire Department and neighboring fire companies to help, with fire officials determining the house was “uninhabitable" after they got the fire under control, Miller said.

Richard Gentles, President and spokesperson for the Fire Department, said departments that assisted with the three-alarm fire included: Green Village Fire Department, Summit Fire Department, New Providence Fire Department, Madison Fire Department, Berkeley Heights Fire Department, Stirling Fire Department, Morris Township Fire Department, Morris Plains Fire Department, and Parsippany Rescue and Recovery Unit.

New Vernon Fire Department and Cedar Knolls Fire Department stayed at the station during the incident, Gentles said, with the fire totally extinguished just before 8 p.m.

"The cause and origin investigation is being handled by the Chatham Township Fire Marshal," said Fire Chief Matt Lemons.

The incident in Chatham Borough, according to information from the Chatham Borough Volunteer Fire Department, took place at approximately the same time as the fire in the township.

This fire, however, started in an apartment on Main Street, with an oven the source.

Chatham Borough fire officials stressed the importance of the tenant’s response to the fire, in that the unidentified resident - who was able to get out safely - shut her apartment door after she had left it, which not only keeps a fire from migrating, but lowers its temperature, the fire department stated.

Borough fire officials commented that their response was unfortunately “significantly delayed and this could have led to conditions getting out of control very quickly,” because people were parked in the apartment complex’s fire lane.

In spite of that difficulty, Chatham Borough Fire Department reported there were no injuries as a result of that apartment fire.

Questions or comments about this story? Have a news tip? Contact me at: jennifer.miller@patch.com.