Fully Engulfed Garage Fire Closes Route 601 For Hours In Montgomery

MONTGOMERY, NJ — A garage fully engulfed in flames caused Route 601 in Montgomery to close more more than three hours on Tuesday.

At 2:03 p.m., a passerby called Montgomery Police to report heavy smoke and a possible fire in the 300 block of Route 601.

Montgomery Police, along with Montgomery Fire Companies 1 and 2, and Montgomery EMS, found a detached storage garage on the property fully engulfed in fire.

"Due to the location on the property and lack of water supply, the south Somerset County fire tanker task force was activated for help, and fire companies battled the blaze for over an hour," said Montgomery Police Lt. Jason Larsen.

The Somerset County Hazardous Materials Emergency Response Team was also called due to the presence of potential hazardous materials stored in the garage, such as gasoline and oil.

Neighboring fire departments such as Flagtown Fire/Rescue - Hillsborough Volunteer Fire Co. #1 also came to help.

The Montgomery Township Fire Marshals' initial investigation found that the fire started from a wood stove left unattended in the garage, said Larsen.

Route 601 was closed for more than three hours for fire department activity. There were no injuries reported.

Have a news tip? Email alexis.tarrazi@patch.com