Fire At Nestle Factory In Freehold Quickly Controlled: Officials

FREEHOLD, NJ - Firefighters from over half dozen mutual aid companies assisted Freehold Borough responders control a fire at the Nestle Beverage factory on Wednesday, fire officials said.

A fire in a coffee roaster was reported shortly after 12:30 p.m. Wednesday at the Jerseyville Avenue factory, the Freehold Fire Department said in a statement.

A box alarm was “immediately transmitted due to the high hazard and size of the factory,” fire officials said.

Within 30 minutes, the fire was located, contained to one of the coffee roasters and declared under control, fire officials added.

No injuries were reported, said Jaye Sims, chief of the Freehold Fire Department.

It was not immediately clear how the fire began or if the fire is under investigation.

The Freehold Fire Department thanked mutual aid companies from East Freehold, Freehold Township, Howell, Manalapan, Colts Neck, Millstone and Marlboro for their assistance at the scene.

Nestle has 227 employees at its instant coffee factory at 61 Jerseyville Ave. on the Freehold/Freehold Township line.

The global Nestle corporation recently announced it is "considering options" for its 75-year-old Freehold coffee factory, causing concern locally about the future of a major business in the borough. Teamsters Local 11 represents the workers there. The company has said no decision on the future of the plant has been made as yet.

Local Editor Pat McDaniel contributed to this story.