STANHOPE BOROUGH, N.J. (Sussex County) — A home on Hill Road in Stanhope Borough was destroyed by fire early Sunday morning as firefighters battled severe winds and dangerously cold temperatures, officials said.
Stanhope Hose Company No. 1 was dispatched at approximately 3:58 a.m. Sunday to a confirmed structure fire on Hill Road. Upon arrival, crews found the residence fully involved in flames. Due to the scale of the fire and the conditions on scene, a second and later a third box alarm were transmitted to request additional mutual aid.
Firefighters worked through strong winds and temperatures reported as low as minus 18 degrees as they fought the blaze. The fire was eventually brought under control, but the home could not be saved.
While no emergency responders were injured, two occupants who were inside the residence when the fire started were transported to the hospital. One patient was transported by basic life support to Love Lane, where the individual was transferred to Atlantic Air Ambulance and flown to Saint Barnabas Medical Center for specialty care. The second patient was transported by ambulance, accompanied by Saint Clare’s Paramedics, to Saint Barnabas as well.
Multiple agencies assisted in the response, including the Stanhope Police Department, Netcong Police Department, Netcong Fire Department, Byram Fire Department, Hopatcong Fire Department, Budd Lake Fire Department, Flanders Fire Department, Roxbury Fire Department, Lakeland Emergency Squad, Hopatcong Ambulance Corps, Mount Olive Atlantic Ambulance, Sparta Dispatch and the Morris County Ambulance Bus.
Additional support was provided by the Sussex County Fire Marshal’s Office, the Sussex County Fire Coordinator, Stanhope’s Office of Emergency Management coordinator, the Sussex County Canteen Unit, the Stanhope Department of Public Works and Jersey Central Power & Light.
Fire officials credited the extensive mutual aid response for helping manage the incident under extreme conditions. The cause of the fire was not immediately released.
