20 cats, 1 turtle, and 13 pigs protected as Middletown, NJ firefighters douse flames emanating from residence
It was a fire with extra special circumstances but thanks to the efforts of 45 firefighters, there are 34 hospice animals now safe following a fire at a home in Middletown Township.
The Middletown Township Fire Department responded to a home on Chapel Hill Road on Wednesday morning around 9:26 am after getting a call from a resident who lived there that there was a fire in the basement laundry room, according to a statement from Middletown Township Fire Department Public Information Officer Dennis Fowler.
Prior to firefighters arriving on scene, the resident tried dousing the flames with multiple fire extinguishers but to no avail.
On top of that, they had several hospice animals in the house that the resident told firefighters couldn't be removed because they are special needs animals.
It created a unique situation for firefighters who needed to put out the heavy basement fire and protect the animals inside the residence.
Middletown Fire Department Chief John Waltz arrived on scene, after Middletown Police who reported the fire, and called in backup and the Rapid Intervention Unit and soon enough, 45 firefighters from five companies were at the house to put out the fire and clear the scene in just over an hours time.
The firefighters were able to put out the flames and as a result protect the 20 cats, 1 turtle, and 13 pigs that were inside the home.
The Middletown Township Fire Department was joined at the scene Wednesday morning by firefighters from the Navesink, Community, Middletown Fire Company No.1, River Plaza Hose, and Lincroft fire companies.
There were no reported injuries to any of the firefighters.
The Wednesday morning fire is under investigation by the Middletown Township Fire Marshal’s office under the direction of Fire Marshal Edward Skelly.
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