Madison Firefighters Assist at St. Elizabeth's Fire

The answered a call for mutual assistance by the Florham Park Fire Department April 27 to help fight a smoky condition at the College of St. Elizabeth in Convent Station.

Madison firefighters answered with a single vehicle to assist with the incident at O"Connor Hall, which involved insulation material in a ceiling of the dormitory structure.

"You couldn't see any flames but there was a burning smell," said Madison Fire Chief Lou DeRosa. He said that the cause of the incident had not been determined by the time Madison personnel left the scene.

Students were evacuated from the building and no injuries were reported.

The warm weather drove up temperatures in the confined space, and calls went out to fire companies in three other communities, including Whippany, to provide relief.

"In those conditions and with all the gear on, we have to be careful about heat exhaustion, and getting personnel out of there to get them hydrated," DeRosa said.