Freehold, NJ — December 12 — Following reports of a prominent smoke column, the Freehold Fire Department was called to a fire at a scrap yard on Throckmorton Street. Due to the circumstances upon arrival, chief officers made early requests for mutual aid.

The first engine to arrive on the site was Engine 15-75, which started fighting the fire. The scale of the scrap pile and windy weather made fire control challenging and resource-intensive. Over the course of eleven hours, almost 100 firefighters worked. To access deep-seated fire, the pile was opened using excavators. At 2:18 a.m., command was ended and the situation was deemed under control. Throughout the operation, many county agencies, public works departments, EMS units, city fire departments, and support groups provided assistance.