Two Units Deemed Uninhabitable at Motel After Morning Fire

Police are continuing an investigation of a fire at the Thursday morning that has left two units in the west wing of the motel uninhabitable.

According to Bridgewater Township Police Lt. Al Nicaretta, the fire began in the lower end unit of the west wing of the motel at around 8:10 a.m. The fire, he said, caused fire and smoke damage to that room, as well as the one directly above it.

There may also be some smoke damage in adjacent rooms, Nicaretta said, but only the two have so far been deemed uninhabitable.

"The fire was contained to one unit, and there is probably fire damage on top of it," he said. "It started on the first level, and smoke damage transferred to the second floor."

Nicaretta said there were people in the room when the fire started, but they were evacuated and were not injured.

The fire, Nicaretta said, was contained only to the west wing of the motel, and did not spread to the adjacent building, although there may also be some water damage in some nearby units in the west wing.

"We haven't yet determined how it started," he said. "But the firefighters got to it quickly and it didn't spread."

The entire west wing of the motel, Nicaretta said, was evacuated as a precaution, in addition to the people who were in the room where the fire started, but no injuries were reported for inhabitants of the motel or firefighters.

As the fire was put out, Nicaretta said, traffic backed up on Route 22 West, as well as around exit 14 off I-287 North.

"People were hitting the brakes when they saw the lights and smoke," he said. "But traffic is heavy at that time on a normal basis anyway."

"The traffic is fine on Route 22 now," he added.

Responding to the fire were the ., the ., the ., the ., the North Branch Volunteer Fire Co. and the .