3 Firefighters Released From Hospital Following Warehouse Blaze In South Brunswick

SOUTH BRUNSWICK, NJ – Three firefighters injured while battling a warehouse fire in Dayton last Friday have been released from the hospital, Fire Chief Scott Smith said.

The firefighters were taken to Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital in New Brunswick after being struck by hundreds of pounds of collapsing cardboard materials during the blaze at Victory Packaging on Corn Road. All three were released by Sunday afternoon.

The incident occurred around 12:45 p.m. on May 16, when the Monmouth Junction Fire Department initially responded to an activated sprinkler alarm at the facility. The call quickly escalated when 911 reports confirmed an active fire inside the building.

As firefighters worked to extinguish flames that had engulfed palletized stacks of flattened cardboard boxes and packing supplies, one of the large stacks collapsed due to fire damage and the added weight of water from sprinklers and hose lines. The collapsing materials struck the three firefighters as they operated a hose line on the fire.

The injured were rescued by fellow firefighters who narrowly missed being hit by the collapsing materials themselves, Smith said. The building was briefly evacuated to account for all personnel before firefighters re-entered to continue suppression efforts.

Earlier in the incident, another firefighter had become separated from his crew and was running low on air, but was quickly located and safely removed by fellow firefighters.

"We are very thankful that the injuries to the firefighters aren't as serious as originally feared," Smith said. "This incident highlights the dangers to our firefighters, in particular heavy fire conditions, thick smoke creating zero visibility, large floor areas making disorientation highly possible, and the collapse potential for materials as well as the building itself."

The fire proved particularly challenging due to deep-seated flames and heavy smoke conditions that created zero visibility for crews. More than 170 firefighters and over 40 fire trucks from 34 departments across Middlesex, Mercer, Monmouth, and Somerset counties responded to the scene. Multiple ambulances also responded to monitor firefighters and treat the injured.

Heavy machinery was ultimately required to pull apart collapsed and smoldering materials before the fire could be fully extinguished. Fire units cleared the scene around 1:30 a.m. on May 17.

The South Brunswick Township Fire Safety Bureau is investigating the cause of the fire.