Morristown fire displaces residents, disrupts morning commute on Speedwell Avenue

Fire at 225 Speedwell in Morristown, Oct. 9, 2017. Photo by Grace Prachthauser
Fire at 225 Speedwell in Morristown, Oct. 9, 2017. Photo by Grace Prachthauser
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UPDATE: This version adds information from the Red Cross, the deputy fire chief and Morristown’s construction code official.

A fire early on Monday displaced residents from two homes, sending one person to the hospital and disrupting morning traffic along Speedwell Avenue.

Fire at 225 Speedwell in Morristown, Oct. 9, 2017. Photo by Grace Prachthauser
Fire at 225 Speedwell in Morristown, Oct. 9, 2017. Photo by Grace Prachthauser

The third and fourth floors at 225 Speedwell were engulfed in flames when firefighters were dispatched at 5:40 a.m., said Morristown Fire Chief Robert Flanagan.

Residents from all five seven apartments got out safely; one was taken to Morristown Medical Center for treatment of smoke inhalation, according to the chief. That person’s condition did not appear to be life-threatening, he said.

Slideshow photos by Grace Prachthauser:

Fire at 225 Speedwell in Morristown, Oct. 9, 2017. Photo by Grace Prachthauser
Fire at 225 Speedwell in Morristown, Oct. 9, 2017. Photo by Grace Prachthauser
Fire at 225 Speedwell in Morristown, Oct. 9, 2017. Photo by Grace Prachthauser
Fire at 225 Speedwell in Morristown, Oct. 9, 2017. Photo by Grace Prachthauser
Fire at 225 Speedwell in Morristown, Oct. 9, 2017. Photo by Grace Prachthauser
Fire at 225 Speedwell in Morristown, Oct. 9, 2017. Photo by Grace Prachthauser
Fire at 225 Speedwell in Morristown, Oct. 9, 2017. Photo by Grace Prachthauser
Fire at 225 Speedwell in Morristown, Oct. 9, 2017. Photo by Grace Prachthauser
Fire at 225 Speedwell in Morristown, Oct. 9, 2017. Photo by Grace Prachthauser
Fire at 225 Speedwell in Morristown, Oct. 9, 2017. Photo by Grace Prachthauser
Fire at 225 Speedwell in Morristown, Oct. 9, 2017. Photo by Grace Prachthauser
Fire at 225 Speedwell in Morristown, Oct. 9, 2017. Photo by Grace Prachthauser
Fire at 225 Speedwell in Morristown, Oct. 9, 2017. Photo by Grace Prachthauser
Fire at 225 Speedwell in Morristown, Oct. 9, 2017. Photo by Grace Prachthauser
Fire at 225 Speedwell in Morristown, Oct. 9, 2017. Photo by Grace Prachthauser
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A house next door at 223 Speedwell was charred by the fire, and utilities there were shut off. Flanagan said officials hope residents of those five apartments may be allowed to return later on Monday.

This fire at 225 Speedwell also charred the house next door, Oct. 9, 2017.
This fire at 225 Speedwell also charred the house next door, Oct. 9, 2017.

The fire’s cause is under investigation by Morristown police and the Morris County Prosecutor’s Office, Flanagan said.

For a time both directions of Speedwell Avenue were shut down during the morning commute.

The northbound side remained closed as of 7 am for the ongoing cleanup and investigation. Detours were in place and police advise motorists to plan alternate routes if possible.

The Red Cross was helping the displaced residents, Flanagan said.

Three days of hotel lodgings have been arranged for 11 tenants, said Frank Manniello of the Red Cross. That includes lodging for one woman who owns two cats, he said.  All of the tenants are adults, he said. Manniello was not aware of anyone requiring medical treatment.

Fire at 225 Speedwell in Morristown, Oct. 9, 2017. Photo by Grace Prachthauser
Fire at 225 Speedwell in Morristown, Oct. 9, 2017. Photo by Grace Prachthauser

Fritz Reuss, Morristown’s construction code official, said 225 Speedwell is registered as a seven-unit apartment building with the state Division of Consumer Affairs. Morris County records list the owners and Teresa and Louis Keefe of Morristown.

They could not immediately be reached for comment on Monday.

Reuss said ownership and inspections will be reviewed on Tuesday, when town hall reopens after the Columbus Day holiday.

The house next door at 223 Speedwell has eight units, Reuss said, noting that electricity is being restored there and tenants should be able to return on Monday.

It took about 40 minutes to bring the fire under control, Chief Flanagan said.

“The guys did a good job of getting it knocked down,” he said.  Firefighters from Morris Township and from Madison’s Rapid Intervention Crew assisted at the scene.

Fire at 225 Speedwell in Morristown, Oct. 9, 2017. Photo by Grace Prachthauser
Fire at 225 Speedwell in Morristown, Oct. 9, 2017. Photo by Grace Prachthauser

The blaze occurred a short distance from the Morristown fire station. Someone rang the station doorbell to report the fire at about the same time the Morris County dispatch center called it in, Flanagan said.

Deputy Fire Chief Jon Prachthauser,  who lives two doors from the fire, was alerted by radio dispatch and ran to the scene to discover “a large volume of fire from the third floor, right-hand side.”

Asked how it felt to have a fire strike so close to home, Prachthauser said, “I didn’t really put any thought into it at the time. It was a building fire in town. I just stepped up and did my job.”

But with more time to reflect, he did offer one observation.

“It makes for a quick response time,” Prachthauser deadpanned.

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