Update from South Brunswick Police on Friday Night’s warehouse fire:
SOUTH BRUNSWICK, NJ (MIDDLESEX)–At 7:05 pm Friday night, South Brunswick Police received a 911 call of a fire at the Sonoco warehouse at 5 Stults Road. All three South Brunswick Companies (Monmouth Junction, Kingston, and Kendall Park) responded, along with Monroe Fire District 3, Jamesburg, Plainsboro, and North Brunswick Fire Co. #2. Over 50 firefighters responded to the 2-alarm fire.
Firefighters from East Brunswick’s Old Bridge and Brookview Fire Companies, Griggstown, and Montgomery Township covered the empty South Brunswick stations.
Monmouth Junction Fire Chief Scott Smith said, “Firefighters encountered frozen hydrants on the property and on Stults Road, and had to use tankers from Cranbury, Jamesburg, Plainsboro, and Monroe to supply water to fight the fire.”
The fire involved the finished cardboard canisters manufactured by the facility, which were stored on plastic pallets and shrink-wrapped, then stacked 3 pallets high. Smith said, “Fortunately the sprinkler system and fire pump contained the fire to several stacks of the palletizing goods. Unfortunately, the fire and water caused several pallets to collapse, making it difficult for firefighters to locate and extinguish the seat of the fire.”
Firefighting crews had to be rotated frequently due to the manpower intensive efforts necessary to reach the seat of the fire, which was approximately 300 feet deep into the warehouse. A heavy smoke condition further complicated efforts, and took several hours to ventilate using large trailer-mounted fans from the Edison and Millstone Valley Fire Departments.
Firefighters remained on scene for several hours. Monmouth Junction First Aid Squad and North Brunswick First Aid and Rescue Squad were on scene but no injuries were reported. The fire is under investigation by the South Brunswick Township Fire Safety Bureau.
Previous MidJersey.News story here: 2nd Alarm Commercial Building Fire In South Brunswick
