Photo Story: Guests Escape N.J. Motel Fire

Firefighters battled the frigid weather and a fast moving fire on Jan. 7 that ravaged a section of a long existing motel near Route 9 in Sayreville, forcing occupants to flee their rooms.

The Sayreville Fire Department was dispatched at 10:58 a.m. for a reported fire at the Circle Motor Lodge on Victory Plaza, after a police officer patrolling the area spotted heavy smoke and flames coming from the building. The fire was called in and the officer began banging on doors to evacuate the residents.

Firefighters arrived on scene and found two rooms of a one-story motel engulfed in flames and rapidly spreading. The fire was through the roof and travelling horizontally through the open wooden truss constructed roof.

 

A water supply was established in front of the building and several handlines were deployed in an attempt to stop the fire spread, but the wind-driven flames quickly consumed the roof and additional rooms.

 

Several rooms were involved in fire and finally stopped where a trench cut was made in the roof. Handlines were stretched to the rooms below the cut where the flames were halted before travelling further through the rest of the building.

 

• Read: The Trench Cut: When, Where and How

 

The bulk of the flames were extinguished within 90 minutes, but pockets of fire remained in various locations throughout the building. Handlines and two elevated master streams continued to flow until all visible fire was extinguished.

The fire was battled for several hours and able to be brought under control around 2:15 p.m., but firefighters remained on scene for an extended period of time conducting extensive overhaul and wrapping up frozen equipment.

This was one of two fires handled by firefighters simultaneously in the borough. Approximately 15 minutes after the motel fire call was received, another fire was reported and mutual aid fire departments responded to a bedroom fire.

There were approximately 20 people displaced, but all were evacuated safely with no injuries. Some of the occupants residing at the motel were victims of Hurricane Sandy back in 2012 and now have lost everything twice in two years.

One firefighter from Woodbridge suffered a minor neck and back injury after a portion of the roof collapsed on him.

Mutual aid fire departments from Perth Amboy, New Brunswick, Hopelawn, Keasbey, Woodbridge and Fords were summoned to the scene to assist, while several other surrounding fire departments covered the borough and responded to additional calls. Several first aid squads were on scene to provide medical evaluations and rehabilitation for the firefighters that were exposed to the frigid temperatures.

The fire is being investigated by the Sayreville Fire Prevention Bureau, but it appears the cause of the fire was due to an overloaded extension cord and a power strip.