5 Firefighters Injured Battling House Fire In Upper Freehold

UPPER FREEHOLD TOWNSHIP, NJ — Multiple firefighters were injured on Wednesday morning after responding to a house fire on Rues Road.

At 9:15 a.m. on Wednesday, Millstone Township Fire Department Chief Mike Maloney arrived at a home on 27 Rues Road for a report of a structure fire.

Once additional units responded to the scene, they stretched hose lines into the home to begin attacking the fire and started primary searches of the residence.

"Units were forced to overcome access challenges to the property, a well-developed fire, the utilization of hauled water and a narrow roadway that is not much more than one lane," the fire department said in an online post. "Companies overcame these obstacles, working closely together to complete fire attack and ensure a continuous water supply was maintained."

The fire was placed under control at 10 a.m., the fire department said.

During this incident, three firefighters were brought to area hospitals for heat-related injuries, while two other firefighters were brought to the Burn Center at Cooperman Barnabas Medical Center for burns they sustained, the Monmouth & Ocean Counties Career Firefighters & Fire Officers Association said.

"Immediately upon learning of the injuries, our leadership team coordinated to ensure Union representatives were present with our members at the hospitals," Association President Andrew J. Hagenberg said in an online post. "Local leadership also maintained constant communication with our partners at the Professional Firefighters Association of New Jersey."

"Through that coordination and our strong partnership with the Burn Center, our members received extraordinary care," Hagenberg continued. "We are especially thankful for the relationship we have built over the years with the Burn Center's dedicated team and for the compassion and professionalism they showed our members and their families."

As of Thursday afternoon, the association said their injured members are doing well and resting, while their on-duty members remain committed to providing uninterrupted fire protection to the community and the neighbors who depend on them.

"We have received an outpouring of support from throughout the fire service and the communities we serve, and we are extremely grateful," Hagenberg said.

IAFF Local 3874 will defer all operational and incident-specific information to the Upper Freehold Township Fire Department and the appropriate investigating agencies, officials said.

"We appreciate the concern for our members, and all of the agencies who reached out to show their support," the Millstone Township Fire Department said. "As always, teamwork and interoperability of the departments and agencies guide these events to completion."