Wednesday night January 7th Warren County Communications started to get phone calls reporting smoke from a house at 401 Jefferson street first arriving units found smoke coming from the basement and advised the first engine to stretch a line to the basement and started a second alarm box assignment brining rapid intervention crews and additional engine and truck crews in. The crews were quickly removed as conditions rapidly started to deteriorate with some of the first floor collapsing and heavy wind driven smoke making visibility at times tough and temperatures in the single digits making the firefight even tougher. Crews tried one more time to make a push into the basement but were quickly forced out and command ordered a defensive attack as a third alarm was struck and several master streams and ladder pipes were put into operation. With temperatures the coldest of the year after several hours of operating two ladders froze up and had to be taken out of service and special call for additional units was put out by the incident commander finally in the early morning hours companies were starting to be released but Hackettstown fire remained on scene till the next day. There was one firefighter sent to the hospital for minor injuries. The following resources were on scene Tri-County, Independence Township, Washington Boro, Allamuchy Twp, Mansfield Twp, Mountain lake, Franklin Twp, Budd Lake, Schooleys Mountain, Netcong, Roxbury Twp, Teaneck (Bergen) de-icing unit. Also Hackettstown, Mansfield, and Independence EMS units for ambulances, rehab, and additional cascade. NJ EMS task force Mass Casualty Unit for warming, and Warren County field com and fire marshal, and fire coordinators form Warren and Morris Counties, and NJ Div. fire safety regional coordinator. There were also several companies that provided station coverage.
