Firemen rescue cat named ‘Smoke’ at Morristown blaze

Etelbinae Alvarado with Smoke, after fire damaged their apartment, Jan. 26, 2017. Photo by Kevin Coughlin
Etelbinae Alvarado with Smoke, after fire damaged their apartment, Jan. 26, 2017. Photo by Kevin Coughlin
0

Video playlist by Kait Falcone, Brian Capo and Kevin Coughlin; toggle icon at top left for video clips.

By Kevin Coughlin

Tenants who live above George & Martha’s American Grille lost some belongings in Thursday afternoon’s smoky blaze. But firefighters rescued a prized possession: A cat named Smoke.

Kalyn Foster with Smoke, saved by Morristown firemen. Photo by Kevin Coughlin
Kalyn Foster with Smoke, saved by Morristown firemen. Photo by Kevin Coughlin

“I was so happy,” said Kalyn Foster, cuddling Smoke in her arms inside the Morristown Diner.

Foster, 23, is one of five adults and two children who share a three-room apartment above George & Martha’s. She was working a block away at the End of Elm restaurant on Thursday when a co-worker told her about the fire.

She called her boyfriend, Alex Marroquin, who was in the apartment getting ready for work.

“Usually there are false alarms. I called him and told him to get out,” Foster said.

Seeing smoke between the walls, the boyfriend collected their dog, a pit bull mix named D.J. But he could not locate the 7-year-old cat.  Luckily, firefighters did, said Foster.

No injuries were reported.

Slideshow photos by Kevin Coughlin and Berit Ollestad

Etelbinae Alvarado with Smoke, after fire damaged their apartment, Jan. 26, 2017. Photo by Kevin Coughlin
Morristown firemen make holes in roof to ventilate George & Martha’s American Grille, Jan. 26, 2017. Photo by Kevin Coughlin
Kalyn Foster with Smoke, saved by Morristown firemen. Photo by Kevin Coughlin
Smoke from roof at George & Martha’s American Grille, Jan. 26, 2017. Photo by Kevin Coughlin
Damage to roof after fire at George & Martha’s American Grille, Jan. 26, 2017. Photo by Kevin Coughlin
Morristown Firefighters at George & Martha’s American Grille, Jan. 26, 2017. Photo by Kevin Coughlin
George & Martha’s American Grille after fire, Jan. 26, 2017. Photo by Kevin Coughlin
Firemen shut down Morris Street to combat fire at George & Martha’s American Grille, Jan. 26, 2017. Photo by Kevin Coughlin
Firefighter Freddy Richards Jr. and Chief Robert Flanagan at fire at George & Martha’s American Grille, Jan. 26, 2017. Photo by Berit Ollestad
Fire Chief Robert Flanagan, right, and Firefighter Nick Prizzi, Jan. 27, 2017. Photo by Kevin Coughlin
Firefighters at George & Martha’s American Grille, Jan. 26, 2017. Photo by Kevin Coughlin
Fire Chief Robert Flanagan and his men at fire at George & Martha’s American Grille, Jan. 26, 2017. Photo by Kevin Coughlin
After the fire at George & Martha’s American Grille, Jan. 26, 2017. Photo by Berit Ollestad
After the fire at George & Martha’s American Grille, Jan. 26, 2017. Photo by Berit Ollestad
p1420272
p1420221
p1420259
p1420165
p1420211
20170126_151026.jpg
p1420281
p1420174
fullsizerender-4-berit
p1420238
p1420234
p1420188
fullsizerender-6
fullsizerender-7
PlayPause
previous arrow
next arrow
 
Shadow

The fire appears to have started in a restaurant cooking duct, shooting upstairs through the duct, behind the walls, said Morristown Fire Chief Robert Flanagan.

Firefighters punched holes in the roof for ventilation, Flanagan said. The apartment sustained a fair amount of water and smoke damage; for the restaurant, it mostly was smoke damage, he said.

Kait Falcone of Lincoln Park saw a plume of smoke as she drove by the Morris Street restaurant at 2:18 pm. Firefighters had not yet arrived.  When she returned a few minutes later, she said, fire trucks were on the scene.

Morristown’s department was assisted by firefighters from Morris Plains, Cedar Knolls, Madison and New Vernon, Flanagan noted. The Morristown Ambulance Squad and the Morris Minute Men also responded.

Firemen cut hole in roof during fire at George & Martha’s American Grille, Jan. 26, 2017. Photo by Kevin Coughlin
Firemen cut hole in roof during fire at George & Martha’s American Grille, Jan. 26, 2017. Photo by Kevin Coughlin

Etelbinae Alvarado, an immigrant from Guatemala who works at a nearby fast food restaurant, said she has lived above George & Martha’s for two years with her husband and two children, ages 6 and 5.  Her brother-in-law and sister-in-law also live there, she said.

Family members were awaiting word from the Red Cross about where to stay.

A message on George & Martha’s website said: “We will be closed tonight. We apologize for the inconvenience.”

Peter Rostides, co-owner of the Morristown Diner, next door to the fire, said he had some anxious moments. But the diner remains open.

“We never close,” he said.

Correspondent Bill Swayze contributed to this report.

Fire at George & Martha's, Jan. 26, 2017. Photo by Geoff Gogan
Fire at George & Martha’s, Jan. 26, 2017. Photo by Geoff Gogan

 

 

 

 

 

LEAVE A REPLY