August 24, 2024
TRENTON, NJ (Mercer County) – City firefighters responded to a two-alarm blaze involving three rowhouses in the Chambersburg neighborhood Saturday morning (Aug. 24, 2024).
The blaze, which was reported about 10:25 a.m., appeared to have originated in the vacant, boarded-up home at 259 Elmer Street and spread to the homes on either side (257 and 261 Elmer Street). Engines 3, 7 and 10, Ladder 2 and Rescue 1 were initially dispatched, but then Engine 1, Ladder 4 and Special Services 1 were added as the balance of the full first alarm after first-due companies reported a column of smoke visible in the morning sky as they responded in.
Multiple hoselines were put in services to attack the fire. Firefighters had not been on scene for long when they received a report from a bystander that a family might be trapped inside one of the homes. That prompted the incident commander, Battalion Chief John Soganic, to transmit a second alarm for additional manpower to help with searches. Engine 6 and Ladder 1 were dispatched on that second alarm.
Fortunately, no victims were located after primary and secondary searches of all three structures were completed. The blaze was officially declared under control at 11:09 a.m. The cause of the fire – which was so intense that it reportedly burned holes through the floor on both the first and second floors of 259 Elmer Street – is currently under investigation by fire marshals and law enforcement officials.
Trenton EMS, Capital Health paramedics, the Signal 22 canteen unit and city police were among the other emergency personnel on the scene.
