WARREN, NJ — April 1st — On Wednesday night, complaints of outside smoke and a potential brush fire prompted the Department Mt. Bethel Fire Company, located at 128 Mount Bethel Rd., Warren, NJ, to react to the King George Road area. Dispatch upgraded the call and transmitted Box 6103 for more companies after several callers reported a house fire while units were responding.

When Assistant Chief 1 arrived, he verified that there was a fire in a functional structure. Soon after, Ladder 61 arrived at the scene and started the fire attack by extending a handline as the first-due engine. In order to provide more staff and equipment to support operations, a second alarm was requested. During the tragedy, mutual help departments blanketed the Warren region and provided on-site assistance.