Washington Township fire companies were dispatched shortly after 17:00 hours to a reported bedroom fire in the Schooley’s Mountain section of town. The incident occurred in a two-story frame private dwelling that had been fully gutted and renovated within the past year and a half.

On arrival, nothing was showing from the exterior. First-arriving police officers reported that the fire was out. Fire crews entering the structure for investigation encountered a slight odor of smoke, though no visible haze, and several smoke detectors were sounding.

Upon reaching the second-floor master bedroom, firefighters found the door already open. The homeowners had returned after being away for approximately seven and a half hours. The room was heavily blackened; the king-sized bed had sustained significant fire damage, and ceiling-mounted smoke detectors were melted and lying on the floor. All four double-pane windows had broken or dislodged inner panes, though the exterior glass remained intact.

A thermal imaging camera was used to scan the room, revealing no excessive heat signatures. Crews opened areas around recessed lighting fixtures and HVAC registers, confirming no fire extension beyond the room of origin.

Through investigation and interviews with the occupants, it was determined that a power strip containing several charging electronic devices had been left on the bed, serving as the likely cause of the fire.