Members of the Livingston Volunteer Fire Department this week extinguished a fire at a Crestview Hill Road home after a fire set in the fireplace spread to the house itself.
A general alarm was sounded at about 2 p.m. on Monday, May 15, and upon arrival, firefighters found that the homeowner had started a small fire in the fireplace by burning sticks. The flames had then spread to the interior structure of the house due to cracks and deteriorations in the masonry chimney. Firefighters opened up the wall above the mantel, and the fire there was extinguished before it could spread further.
Fire officials then checked for “hot spots” on the second floor and in the attic, with negative results. Damage was confined to the fire’s area of origin, and no injuries were reported.
Car Fire
On Friday, May 12, Fire Department volunteers responded to 231 East Mt. Pleasant Avenue on a report of a car fire. They found the vehicle’s engine compartment in flames. The fire was extinguished without incident, and no injuries were reported. The vehicle had to be towed from the scene.
Possible Fire
That same day, there was a report of a possible fire involving an electrical panel in the basement of 86 Shrewsbury Drive. Firefighters found a smoke condition in the basement. The main electrical panel was emitting smoke, and the main breaker had tripped. They shut the breaker off and removed the panel cover. An electrician was then called to make repairs.
False Alarms
The Fire Department’s other seven calls this past week were false alarms. On Wednesday, May 10, a contractor working on the heating and air conditioning system at 31 Mountain Ridge Drive inadvertently activated a fire alarm there.
A system malfunction was the cause of a false fire alarm at 21 Stonewall Drive on Friday, May 12.
A carbon monoxide (CO) alarm transmission at 49 North Ridge Drive on Saturday, May 13, was caused by a low battery in the detector. A fire alarm was activated in error that same day at 11 Broadlawn Drive.
There were two false alarms on Sunday, May 14, at 19 Post Lane and at Cedar Street Commons; the latter call was cancelled prior to firefighters’ arrival.
On Monday, May 15, there was a CO alarm activation at Valley National Bank at 73 South Livingston Avenue. The building was checked with the Fire Department’s CO meter, but no readings were found.
