Family Homeless After Tinton Falls Fire
By GARRETT STASSE
A fast-moving fire blown by strong breezes destroyed a Tinton Falls house Tuesday, leaving a family of four homeless.
According to fire officials, the house, at 22 Churchill Downs Dr., caught fire when the heat exchanger in the air conditioning system malfunctioned. One of the owners, who was not identified, tried to douse the blaze with an extinguisher but it ran out of suppressant.
The flames had ignited a fence. The wind reignited the flames which spread to the house. The owner, the mother of two teenagers, called 911. She was the only one home and escaped without injury, the source said.
All four borough fire companies, along with Shrewsbury and Fort Monmouth departments, responded to the fire, which was called in at around 4:15 p.m. By the time the fire was declared under control an hour later, the house was destroyed.
The house is in the Society Hill development but far enough away from the condominiums and single-family homes that none were threatened, the source said.
No injuries were reported, and it could not be determined Tuesday night how many fire fighters responded.
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