An investigation into the April 7 fire that destroyed 24 apartments at the Avalon Watch rental apartment complex, leaving its occupants homeless, will likely last for several days, according to the West Windsor Police Department.
The Mercer County Prosecutor’s Office’s Arson Unit and the West Windsor Police Department’s Detective Bureau are seeking the cause of the fire, but the preliminary findings are that the fire was not suspicious in origin, police said.
The apartment complex is located off Clarksville Road.
The fire, which was contained to Building 8 on Taylor Court, was reported shortly after 3 p.m. April 7, police said. The first police officers on the scene found the building was engulfed in flames, and began evacuating it, according to reports. A nearby apartment building also was evacuated as a precaution.
The four-alarm fire was brought under control at 5:58 p.m. The response to the fire was raised to four alarms because of the size and spread of the fire, and the need for more firefighters and equipment to put out the fire.
Firefighters from West Windsor, Plainsboro, East Windsor, Hamilton, Ewing and South Brunswick responded to the fire, along with firefighters from Princeton and Hightstown.
The New Jersey Division of Fire Safety and West Windsor Township Fire and Emergency Services also responded, police said.
The Princeton First Aid and Rescue Squad, the Lawrence Township Emergency Medical Services and the Plainsboro Emergency Medical Services sent ambulances to the scene.
Capital Health Systems paramedics and the Signal 22 Canteen, which provides food and drinks to first responders at an extended disaster scenes, also responded, according to reports.
Four firefighters suffered minor injuries, none of which required hospitalization. There were no injuries or fatalities reported among the civilians, police said.
A GoFundMe page has been set up to assist the families. Visit https://gf.me/v/c/yb6/help-kristy-recover-massive-fire-nothing-spared
