Firefighters Evacuate Townhouse, Neighboring Homes In Hillsborough Blaze

A basement fire lit up a two-story Hillsborough home on Friday, causing several district fire companies to rush to the Merrit Drive building, evacuate neighboring homes, and extinguish the blaze.

The structure broke out on Friday evening at a two-story, middle row townhouse at 922 Merrit Drive in Hillsborough, a rep from Hillsborough Volunteer Fire Company #2 stated online.

Heavy smoke plumed out of the townhouse as firefighters pumped water into the building. Ladder 36 arrived shortly after to extinguish flames on the roof, the rep stated. The fire was extinguished within 15 minutes.

Firefighters and Police determined that the fire was coming from the residence of Mehul, 40, and Shestal Patel, 42, CentralJersey.com reported.

All three floors of the building were damaged, rendering the unit uninhabitable, the news source stated. Residents in adjacent apartments were also evacuated. The fire safety bureau is still investigating the cause of the blaze.

The Station 37 Fire Chief commanded the scene, while the Station 38 Chief handled operations. Rescue squads, public works, and fire safety representatives were also on the scene.

Photo of Merrit Drive fire courtesy of Elizabeth Avenue Volunteer Fire Company - Station 26 Facebook page.

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