Crews Contain Porch and Chimney Fire Before Structural Spread on East Poplar Street

Wenonah, NJ - Firefighters from the Wenonah Volunteer Fire Company and surrounding mutual aid departments contained an early morning dwelling fire Friday after a lightning strike ignited the exterior of a residence on East Poplar Street in Gloucester County.

Gloucester County communications dispatched Taskforce 13-1 at 6:19 a.m. on Friday, November 6, 2026, for a reported residential dwelling fire in the 200 block of East Poplar Street in Wenonah. The 911 caller reported that lightning had struck the residence, sparking an active fire on the porch that was threatening to extend into the interior of the home.

Command Chief 1301 arrived first on the Division D side with nothing visible from the front exterior. However, during a mandatory 360-degree perimeter reconnaissance, Chief 1301 located an active fire burning beneath a porch on the Division B side that was beginning to travel upward along the exterior chimney chase. The chief initiated an immediate transitional knockdown on the outside fire using a portable dry chemical extinguisher.

Engine 1312 arrived shortly thereafter, deploying an 1¾-inch handline to thoroughly douse and cool the exterior burn area. Concurrently, incoming search and attack teams entered the dwelling to check for hidden vertical and horizontal extension. Firefighters discovered that the fire had burned through the structural sill plate and gained entry into the basement.

Crews stretched a secondary dry attack line to the front entrance as a precaution while personnel extinguished the basement and framing hotspots using pressurized water cans. Ladder 28 executed structural ventilation to expel accumulated smoke, while extensive overhaul verified complete extinguishment with no further hidden spread.

Units operating on scene included Chiefs 1301, 9101, and 281; Engines 1312, 911, and 1511; Squad 1311; Ladder 28; Utility 1317; Gloucester County EMS (GCEMS); and the Gloucester County Fire Marshal's Office (GCFMO), which is conducting the routine incident review. No injuries were reported.