An off-duty Hopewell Valley volunteer firefighter helped 14 people safely escape a Hopewell Township home Tuesday morning after spotting a fire that began in a detached garage, according to the Pennington Fire Company.
The fire was reported around 5:01 a.m. at a home on Darrow Drive after nearby residents called 911 to report a vehicle burning inside a detached garage. When police officers and firefighters arrived, the garage was fully engulfed in flames.
According to Pennington Fire Company, the volunteer firefighter lives adjacent to the property and alerted the occupants as the fire spread toward the home, helping all 14 residents evacuate safely before fire crews arrived.
Firefighters quickly brought the blaze under control, limiting damage to the residence. The detached garage and three vehicles parked in the driveway were destroyed, according to the fire company.
The home sustained only minimal exterior damage, and no injuries were reported.
Assistant Chief Ingram of the Pennington Fire Department served as incident commander. Responding agencies included Hopewell Valley Emergency Services, Hopewell Fire Department, Union Fire Company, Lawrence Township Fire Department, Princeton Fire Department and Hopewell EMU.
The cause of the fire remains under investigation by the Mercer County Fire Marshal’s Office and Hopewell Valley Emergency Services. Police said the preliminary investigation has found nothing suspicious, although all township fires are initially investigated as suspicious until a cause is determined.
