The scene at 19 Azalea Court as firefighters began to cut an opening in the roof, below. (Photos by John T. Ward. Click to enlarge)
By JOHN T. WARD
A fire that caused extensive damage to a Little Silver residence Saturday night is believed to have started in the fireplace chimney, fire Chief Reiss Pfleger tells redbankgreen.
Volunteer firefighters answering the 8:30 p.m. alarm found the street outside 19 Azalea Court “filled with smoke” on arrival, and the family who lived there safely outside, he said.
The home, which sits beside an entrance to Sickels Park, is listed in property records as belonging to Justin and Karey Griffin.
A short time after a fire was lit in a first-floor fireplace, the family noticed smoke filling the room and beyond, said Pfleger. They immediately evacuated and called authorities.
The fire appeared to have gotten into the wall cavity around the fireplace and traveled up into the ceiling. A second-floor bedroom sustained heavy fire damage, he said, and firefighters stopped the blaze before it got to the attic.
On scene, in addition to borough volunteers, were emergency personnel from the Rumson-Sea Bright joint Rapid Intervention Team, Shrewsbury and two companies in Tinton Falls. Oceanport provided coverage to the borough in the interim.
