CRANFORD FIRE DEPARTMENT PRESS RELEASE

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

January 21, 2022

Point of Contact: Lt. Matthew Lubin, Fire Official

m-lubin@cranfordnj.org 

CRANFORD FIRE AND POLICE DEPARTMENTS RESPOND TO A COMMERCIAL STRUCTURE FIRE ON QUINE STREET

CRANFORD – The Cranford Fire/EMS and Police Departments responded to a commercial structure fire on Quine Street earlier today. Fire Department units were dispatched around 10:03 a.m. to the area of 570 South Avenue East, and while responding, determined the fire was located at Arnolds Pest Control on Quine Street. Police and Fire units arrived within three minutes. Upon arrival, personnel encountered a single story commercial garage structure in the rear of the property which was fully involved with fire. There were also several commercial vehicles which were parked adjacent to the structure which were also on fire. Several small explosions occurred within the structure as fire department personnel were initiating fire suppression operations. The incident escalated to three alarms, bringing in mutual aid fire resources from several surrounding communities via the Union County Fire Mutual Aid Plan.

Due to the industrial nature of the property, the intensity of the fire, and the known storage of pest control products, the Fire Department issued a shelter in place order for the surrounding homes to minimize exposure to the smoke and combustion byproducts. With our partners at Union County Hazmat, air monitoring was conducted and Command Staff determined that there was not an elevated hazard above the normal hazards of smoke. The chemical storage was within approved quantities and stored in approved fire resistant cabinets.

The fire was brought under control around 11:12 a.m. and the shelter-in-place directive was lifted shortly thereafter. Mutual Aid resources from the Hillside, Elizabeth, Springfield Fire Departments provided fire protection for the Township from Cranford Fire Headquarters while local resources were committed at the scene. A fire scene rehabilitation vehicle also responded due to the extreme cold temperatures.

Remaining units cleared the scene in the early afternoon. The incident is being investigated by the CFD Bureau of Fire Prevention.