| A home in Hawthorne Park was heavily damaged by fire on the afternoon of June 26th. The department was called to 45 Hopewell Lane at 5:44 pm for a house on fire. Willingboro Police arrived and found fire and smoke coming from the rear of the home. Chief of Department Burnett and Engine 1613 arrived in two minutes with the Chief taking Command of the incident.
Engine 1613 connected to a nearby hydrant to ensure an adequate amount of water to extinguish the fire. Firefighter Costello used a 2" hoseline to start extinguishing the fire from the outside of the home. Firefighters Ferrell and Bennett started to remove smoke and heat from the home. The fire was intensified due to natural gas burning from a broken service line in the home.
Additional crews from Westampton and Burlington City used two 1 3/4" hoselines to assist with fighting the fire that had spread to other parts of the home. The fire had made its way into the garage and second floor of the home. Engine 1613's crew was able to shut off the natural gas line which helped in extinguishing the fire. The combined effort of all crews allowed Chief Burnett to place the fire under control at 6:07 pm.
The fire is being investigated by the Burlington County Fire Marshal's Office. The American Red Cross was called to assist with temporary housing for the residents of the home. Crews from Willingboro and Westampton were on scene until 9pm assisting with the investigation and with checking for hidden fire in the home. A neighboring house sustained minor damage to its exterior due to heat from the fire. Companies from Delran and Beverly were on stand-by at Willingboro Fire Headquarters in case of other emergencies in the township. |
