17 April, 1990 (~estimated)
General Alarm Sounded For Blaze on Pine Street
There were three fires in the Borough last week, including one on Pine Street that routed nine people and sent two small children and an adult to Princeton Medical Center for treatment of smoke inhalation.
No one was injured in the other two, which were located in buildings on the Princeton University campus. Township police also listed a fire earlier in the week in the back of a University trash truck.
A general alarm was sounded at 11:30 Friday evening for a fire in an apartment home at 9 Pine Street. Capt. Thomas Michaud said that the fire is believed to have started shortly after 11 when a space heater in a second-floor bedroom ignited a nearly blanket. Fire spread to a rug, carpet and wait of the room. A neighbor called police at 11:30, reporting smoke pouring out of the bedroom window.
Firemen arrived at the scene within minutes and had the situation under control within half an hour. Among those forced to flee the blaze were Hector Santizo, his wife, and two children who were asleep in the bedroom. Mr. Santizo and his children, ages 14 months and 2 1/2 years, were treated for smoke inhalation and released the next day from the hospital. The entire family was transported by the Princeton First Aid Squad to the hospital.
All the occupants, all ,Guatemalans immigrants, have been relocated-with the aid of members of the Princeton, Chapter of the Red Cross and are staying temporarily with neighbors, friends, and family.
It was reported by a neighbor that smoke detectors in the house did not work.
Fire in the Frick Lab
Earlier the same evening, a general alarm had been sounded at 7:43 for a fire in Hoyt Lab located, in the Frick Building on campus. A University security dispatcher had called police reporting heavy smoke on the third floor. The building was evacuated.
Firemen, Capt. Michaud said, traced the smoke to a generator in the basement that had malfunctioned and caught fire, sending smoke billowing up an air duct. The fire was extinguished by a maintenance man and firemen smashed open a skylight to help ventilate the building. There was no real damage, Capt. Michaud said.
Smoke at 185 Nassau
At 11 Sunday morning, there was fire that produced smoke but caused little damage in a first-floor, woodworking lab and metal sculpture shop in the University’s 185 Nassau Street Building.
According to Captain Michaud, a seven-foot tall, self-contained dust collector had caught fire, causing slight damage to the collector and a light fixture. Students had been working in the room on Friday night and apparently had a problem with a small fire underneath a sander and extinguished it. Fire officials believe that some of the sparks from that fire must have been picked up by the dust collector and smoldered over the weekend. When the collector’s exhaust fan was turned on Sunday morning, it provided enough air to cause the sparks to flare up.
The trash truck fire occurred last Wednesday morning around 10 after a garbage truck operated by the University Grounds and Building Service had picked up a load of trash near Lot 23 off Faculty Road. Apparently the load ignited said Lt. Anthony Gaylord. Firemen responded to a call reporting out of the rear of the truck.
The truck’s load was dumped and wetted by firemen. There was no damage to the truck.