Lit Candle in Attic Causes House Fire in Brick

Equipment owned by the Laurelton Fire Company in Brick. (Photo: Laurelton Fire Company)

A weekend house fire on Princeton Avenue was caused by its owner lighting a candle in the attic while he was moving his possessions out.

The Sandy-damaged home at 752 Princeton Avenue, near the corner of North Drive, was slated to be demolished by a new owner, and its current owner was removing items from the attic on Saturday and lit a candle to be able to see, said Kevin Batzel, Chief of the Brick Bureau of Fire Safety. At one point, the current owner fell through the attic and knocked the candle over, causing a fire.

“It was unintentional,” said Batzel, and the cause of the fire was listed as careless use of candles.

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The 2:30 p.m. fire was fought primarily by the Laurelton Fire Company with assistance from the rest of the township’s fire companies, Batzel said. The bulk of the damage to the home was in the attic itself, Batzel said, though the house was already unoccupied since Sandy. The home, which was for sale but apparently has a buyer pending, has been marked for demolition.

The owner of the home who fell through the attic suffered a minor injury from the fall, and was treated at the scene, Batzel said.