No one was injured today in a house fire on South Stanley Road in South Orange that appears to have been started by faulty electrical wiring.
The South Orange Fire Department responded to a telephone report of the fire at 9:13 a.m. this morning. On arrival, firefighters found that the fire was on the second floor of the 2-1/2 story home, and that the fire was extending into the unfinished attic space and adjacent areas.
The firefighters searched the interior for occupants; fortunately, all residents had evacuated themselves from the house.
While the firefighters quickly knocked down the visible fire, they needed to extinguish substantial hidden fire in ceilings, walls and other void spaces.
The fire was declared fully extinguished by 10:52 a.m.
Mutual aid was provided by fire departments from Orange, Maplewood, West Orange, Irvington and East Orange.
According to Acting South Orange Fire Chief Daniel Sullivan, the preliminary investigation points to the fire being caused by electrical wiring and originating in the second floor wall and ceiling space.
