MOP UP AT BERRIEN COURT: Princeton Firemen John Rock (left) of Hook & Ladder and Ward Taggart of Engine No. 3 engage in a final hose down, following a fire Tuesday morning at 4 Berrien Court. Debris from the gutted, small home lies outside at right. No one was injured. 

Town Topics
17 December, 1986

Fire Guts Small Home On Berrien Ct. Tuesday

A fire Tuesday morning completely gutted a small, three-room duplex home on Berrien Court.

No one was injured, but the occupant, Clarence Wiley, 71, was taken to Princeton Medical Center as a precautionary measure. Fire Chief Peter R. Hodge explained that Mr. Wiley wears a pacemaker and I “started to show some problems. He was apprehensive because the fire had disrupted his t whole life cycle.”

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Chief Hodge reported that an i investigation by the County Fire Marshall, the Borough Fire Inspector and himself had traced the cause of the fire to a heater in the living room. “It is not a complete report yet,” he added.

The a fire left the inside of the brick, stucco-covered home, consisting of a combination living room-bedroom, kitchen area and bath, gutted except for the walls.

The duplex next door at 2 Berrien Court, a small lane off Quarry Street, suffered smoke damage.

All three Princeton fire companies responded to the general alarm, sounded at 7:27. That was a minute after Sgt. Charles Davall, Ptl. Victor Fasanella and Ptl. Ralph Terracciano arrived at the scene.

Deputy Fire Chief Ken Ren-dall, who was still at the scene at noon. said firemen were able to knock down the fire within the first five or six minutes. “As soon as the trucks got in we ran two attack lines, one at the front door and one at the rear door,” he said.

Charred pieces of furniture and other items were lined up outside the home. The front door looked like a ladder where the thinner wooden panels had burned completely away. The fire was the second in the Borough in as many weeks. A week ago, a chimney fire on University Place forced the evacuation of nine university students.