The Livingston Fire Department responded to a general alarm on Monday, August 7, when a structure fire was reported at 161 Walnut Street at approximately 8:30 a.m.
Upon arrival, firefighters found fire coming from a first floor bedroom. They deployed 2¾ inch hand lines to extinguish the fire, which was knocked down in abut 20 minutes, reported Assistant Fire Chief Kevin Francione.
Two people were home at the time of the fire, but had gotten outside when firefighters arrived. Several pets, including a rabbit and some birds, were successfully removed from the house without incident. “A good job was done by all,” commented Assistant Chief Francione.
Assisting in firefighting operations was the Roseland Fire Department, which sent over a ladder engine, as Livingston’s ladder engine is still out for repairs.
The house suffered fire, smoke and heat damage, and is currently uninhabitable, said Francione. At press time, the cause of the fire was still under investigation.
Gas Calls
In addition to the house fire, the Fire Department responded to three calls about natural gas, a report of a burning odor, and a report of an elevator entrapment.
A gas leak was reported at 12 Tamarack Drive on Friday, August 4. Fire officials checked the house with the department’s gas meter, and registered a reading of 13 parts per million (ppm) coming from the home’s furnace. Public Service Electric and Gas (PSE&G) was notified and responding.
A possible gas leak had been reported the previous day, August 3, at 27 Tuxedo Drive; however, fire officials registered no reading on the department’s gas meter. PSE&G was notified as a precaution.
A gas alarm activation called firefighters to 15 Mountain Ridge Drive on Monday, August 7. The house was checked, but no readings registered on the Fire Department’s gas meter.
Burning Odor
On Sunday, August 6, Fire Department volunteers went to the Livingston Mall to investigate a report of an issue with a light fixture and a burning odor in one of the stores. Firefighters found an LED bulb had shorted out. The bulb was replaced, and no further action was taken.
Elevator Entrapment
On Monday, August 7, the Fire Department received a report of two occupants trapped in an elevator at the Livingston Senior/Community Center, 204 Hillside Avenue. The passengers were removed without incident, and the elevator was to be checked by maintenance personnel.
False Alarms
The Fire Department’s other nine calls this past week were false alarms or unfounded reports.
There was a false alarm at 6 Kathay Drive on Tuesday, August 1.
A fire alarm test set off a false alert at Ady Art Center, 30-34 Okner Parkway, on Friday, August 4. That same day, a detector malfunction in a patient’s room set off a false fire alarm at the CareOne nursing facility at 68 Passaic Avenue.
A fire alarm at 35 Elmwood Drive on August 3 was cancelled prior to firefighters’ arrival. That same day, work being done at Livingston Bagel, 37 East Northfield Road, set off a false alarm transmission there.
Adetector malfunction was blamed for a false alarm on August 6 at 16 Tanglewood Drive.
On August 7, a carbon monoxide detector at 4 Vista Terrace activated during a battery change. An error activation was the cause of a fire alarm transmission at the Shoppes at the Livingston Circle at 277 Eisenhower Parkway.
Asystem malfunction set off a false alarm transmission at the Synagogue of the Suburban Torah Center at 85 West Mt. Pleasant Avenue.
