December 25, 2023
LAWRENCE (Mercer) – Two families were left homeless on Christmas Eve after a raging fire yesterday morning (Sunday, Dec. 24, 2023) destroyed both sides of a duplex in the Liberty Green development off Lawrence Station Road.
The blaze, which apparently originated in 299 Fountayne Lane and spread to the attached home at 301 Fountayne Lane, was reported at 10:49 a.m. It was initially reported as a fire in a second-floor bedroom.
Due to multiple 911 calls being received about the fire and a towering column of smoke that was visible from Mercer County’s emergency services dispatching center – located a short distance away on Lawrence Station Road – Trenton’s Ladder 4, Hamilton Township’s Engine 10-1, Truck 10-1 and Rescue 10-1 and West Windsor Township’s Engine 44 (Princeton Junction) were all immediately dispatched to assist.
When the first fire officer arrived on the scene, he reported heavy fire and smoke showing from the second floor of 299 Fountayne Lane. A short time later, flames were burning through the roof.
The first fire apparatus to arrive were Hamilton’s Engine 10-1 and Truck 10-1. Hamilton firefighters secured their own water supply from a nearby hydrant and initiated an aggressive interior attack. They were then joined by two crews of Lawrence firefighters who joined the fire attack. Additional crews from Hamilton, Trenton, West Windsor and Lawrence arrived later and assumed various suppression and support roles.
Portions of the roof of 299 Fountayne Lane soon collapsed and, with heavy fire conditions by then raging in both sides of the duplex and additional parts of 299 Fountayne Lane in danger of collapse, the incident commander ordered all firefighters to evacuate the structure at 11:10 a.m.
An additional water supply was established from another hydrant near the entrance to the Liberty Green development. Water was poured on the flames from above via the aerial monitors of Hamilton’s Truck 10-1 and Lawrence’s Telesquirt 203, as well as multiple hoselines from the ground. At one point, five hoselines were reported to be flowing water.
After the bulk of the fire was knocked down from the exterior and an assessment of the structural stability of the building was performed, firefighters resumed interior operations and extinguished the remaining pockets of fire. The blaze was officially declared under control at 11:50 a.m. By then, both 299 and 301 Fountayne Lane had sustained significant damage.
Ambulance personnel from Lawrence, West Windsor and Princeton were on scene but, fortunately, there were no reports of any injuries.
The cause of the blaze was being investigated by the Lawrence Township Fire Marshal’s office and township police.
Yesterda’s blaze was reminiscent of another inferno that destroyed two homes in the 100 block of Fountayne Lane back on Aug. 13, 2012. (https://patch.com/new-jersey/lawrenceville/blaze-destroys-lawrenceville-house)
A GoFundMe has been set up for the family who lost their home and you can contribute at the link below. This GoFundMe has been verified by a Communications Manager at GoFundMe.
The GoFundMe reads:
Help Kevin & Tammy Hampton restore their lives
My name is Sherrie and I am doing this fundraiser for my good friends, Kevin & Tammy Hampton. This morning at 11 AM, Kevin & Tammy received a phone call that their home was on fire. They are currently out of town celebrating the Christmas holiday with friends. They literally lost everything but the clothes on their back and the clothes they had packed for vacation. With today being Christmas Eve there is NO business that can be done until Tuesday December 26th. We are asking everyone who knows them to donate to this GoFundMe to help them through this tragedy.
Developing: Firefighters Operating at Structure Fire in Lawrence Township