An early morning fire in the Delaware section of Knowlton destroyed a barn and damaged three houses May 14th.
There were no injuries reported as a result of the blaze. The barn was used as a storage area and no animals were inside. The fire is not considered suspicious, fire officials said.
The fire was reported about 12:25 a.m. early Sunday on Ann Street, said Knowlton Fire Chief Alex Weber. The first responding unit was ambulance 41-51 from Knowlton, which encountered a fully involved structure fire. Arriving fire crews were met with extreme heat conditions, Weber said.
The initial crews knocked down the majority of the fire quickly. A tanker task force was called to the scene to supply water.
The fire in the barn caused extensive heat damage to at least three neighboring houses, Weber said.
Units from Knowlton Township Fire and Rescue Co. No. 1, Station 41, responding include Engine 41-63, Tanker 41-71, Rescue Engine 41-65, Rescue 41-73 and BLS 41-52 responded.
They were assisted by units from the Allamuchy Fire Department, Blairstown Hose Co., Blairstown Ambulance Corps, Hope Volunteer Fire Co., Belvidere Good Will Fire Co., Portland, Pennsylvania, Hook and Ladder, Mt. Bethel Pennsylvania Volunteer Fire Co., Mountain Lake Fire Company and the New Jersey Forest Fire Service. New Jersey State Police assisted on scene.
The fire is under investigation by the NJ State Fire Marshall’s Office.
Joe Phalon, Contributing Writer
Joe was lured out of retirement by the opportunity to be a part of the Ridge View Echo. During a decades-long career in publishing and journalism, he has covered government on many levels from local school boards to the United States Supreme Court.
Along the way, Joe has worked at American Lawyer Magazine, The National Law Journal and The Record among other publications, and as the Press Officer of Columbia Law School. His work has been recognized with several first place awards from the Society of Professional Journalists and the New Jersey Press Association.
Being part of the Ridge View Echo brings Joe back to his roots and the kind of news coverage he loves: Telling the stories of people and local communities as well as keeping an eye on how their money is spent by their government officials.
Joe lives in Blairstown with his wife Rose, the founder of Quilting for a Cause, and their two wiener dogs. He is an artist in his spare time.
