Garfield Park Home Damaged By Afternoon House Fire

A kitchen fire on the afternoon of May 19th damaged a home in the Garfield Park section of Willingboro. The fire department was dispatched to 6 Gunner Lane at 2:35 pm when the resident heard his smoke detectors activating while outside of the home. Engine 1613 arrived in five minutes and found heavy smoke coming from a two-story home. Upon further investigation Captain Ramsey found heavy smoke on the first floor and fire in the kitchen.

Firefighters Anderson and Rydarowski entered the home with a 1 3/4" hoseline and started to extinguish the fire in the kitchen. Firefighter Rydarowski used a hand tool to remove the ceiling from the kitchen area to expose any hidden fire. A crew from Westampton entered the second floor and checked the attic area for any spreading fire. A small area of fire was found in the attic and quickly extinguished.

Due to the hot weather on this day, additional crews from Burlington Township and Delran were called to the scene to check for hidden fire and remove burned debris from the home. An investigation by the Burlington County Fire Marshal's Office determined the fire to be accidental. The homeowners were not able to stay in the home after the fire and were given assistance with temporary housing. One firefighter was transported to a local hospital after falling ill on scene and released after being examined by a doctor. All units were clear from the scene at 5:55 pm