MANSFIELD TOWNSHIP, NJ (Warren County) – An appliance fire that caused extensive smoke Sunday evening resulted in the Shoprite in Mansfield Township to remain closed on Monday.
On June 11, at 5:46 p.m., the Tri-County Fire Company along with the Independence First Aid Squad was dispatched to the ShopRite of Mansfield, 1965 Route 57, for an appliance fire with smoke coming from the produce cooler, according to Tri-County Volunteer Fire Company Chief Brian Kostenbader.
Emergency crews arrived and confirmed smoke in the building and the building was then evacuated. A fire extinguisher was used by an employee, Kostenbader said.
Arriving units worked inside and on the roof of the structure to secure the power to the affected area and halt the HVAC system which was circulating the smoke. It was also discovered that a Freon line had ruptured due to the fire, the Freon was turned off to the structure and at that time the Warren County HazMat team was dispatched, Kostenbader said.
Once the fire was determined to be extinguished, fans were set up to ventilate the structure. Units operated on scene for about 3 hours, Kostenbader said.
According to a post on the ShopRite of Mansfield’s Facebook page, “Due to a small electrical fire and out of an abundance of caution for our customers and associates, our store will be closed today, June 12, 2023. Thank you very much for understanding, we will keep you updated and expect to open tomorrow.”
The fire is currently under investigation by the Washington Township Morris County Fire Prevention Bureau, Kostenbader said.
