Somerset Fire & Rescue Responded to Five-Alarm Warehouse Fire

Somerset, N.J. — November 6 — On Friday, a sequence of emergency incidents unfolded across Franklin Fire District 1, involving Somerset Fire & Rescue Company No.1 and its affiliated units.The response was initiated just prior to 4:00 a.m.with a catastrophic warehouse blaze on Belmont Drive, which rapidly escalated to a five-alarm designation.

Somerset Fire & Rescue spearheaded the response to the warehouse, a facility housing a recycling operation that stored batteries, computers, and televisions. The operation was complicated by the presence of lithium-ion batteries within the structure, which subjected firefighters to perilous conditions.

In support of the initial efforts, the Somerset County Hazardous Materials Emergency Response Team was also deployed to the scene. According to official reports, two firefighters sustained minor injuries as a result of the incident. Following the warehouse fire, five further alarms were triggered, prompting a gas odor investigation throughout the day and maintaining the continuous deployment of crews across the district.

At 11:31 p.m., Somerset Fire & Rescue was once again dispatched to a residence where a reported dryer fire had expanded into the laundry room; upon arrival, firefighters mobilized to mitigate the spread of the blaze.

The consecutive nature of these incidents necessitated sustained coordination between district companies and mutual aid departments. Personnel managed a diverse array of responsibilities, including fire suppression, investigative efforts, and other critical response functions, maintaining continuous operations from daylight through the night.

Somerset Fire & Rescue extended its gratitude to the crews who answered the emergency calls and recognized the mutual aid agencies that furnished critical support during both significant incidents.