No Damage At St. Mary's Chapel In Middletown After Small Fire

MIDDLETOWN, NJ — A small fire broke out Saturday afternoon at Saint Mary's Church chapel on Leonardville Road in Middletown.

The fire started at 2 p.m. in the votive candle rack, and parishioners inside the church at the time jumped into action to help put it out, said Father Jeff Kegley, the pastor at Saint Mary's.

"Thank God the chapel is open 24/7 and there are at least two people assigned in the shrine to cover all the hours," Kegley said Monday. "So the parishioners noticed it immediately and were able to extinguish the fire with a can of water."

The chapel suffered no damage from the fire, he said.

This was not at the main St. Mary Mother of God church, but the smaller chapel/shrine across Leonardville Road.

People in the church were working to put out the flames when Belford Engine Company and the Independent Fire Company of Belford arrived. In total, about 40 volunteer Middletown firefighters worked to make sure the fire was extinguished, and that the chapel was properly ventilated.