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Fire guts Parsippany apartment

Heavy damage to basement unit at Baldwin Manor

William Westhoven
@WWesthoven

PARSIPPANY - Fire of undetermined origin gutted a basement unit in the Baldwin Manor apartment complex Wednesday, leaving its tenants temporarily homeless.

A fire gutted this basement apartment Wednesday in the Baldwin Manor complex. in Parsippany.

Township firefighters extinguished the fire within about 10 minutes of dispatch at 1:49 p.m., according to District 6 Deputy Chief Vinnie Petito, but the 36-unit building in the northwest corner of the seven-building complex was temporarily evacuated. The apartments are located off of Route 46 near Parsippany High School.

Displaced residents were offered warm shelter in two township transit buses parked at the scene, according to police spokesman Brian Conover. Parsippany Animal Control also arrived to care for animals displaced by the evacuation.

Two residents were treated at the scene for smoke inhalation, but declined further treatment. One police officer was taken to St. Clare's Hospital in Denville for treatment of smoke inhalation, according to Conover.

The apartment where the fire occurred was unoccupied at the time and is now uninhabitable, Petito said. Other residents of the building were allowed back inside after the fire was put out.

Fire gutted this basement apartment Wednesday in the Baldwin Manor complex in Parsippany.

Responders from districts 6 and 5 were the first to reach the scene and observed smoke and fire conditions, according to Petito. An initial search determined no occupants of the apartment.

The District 4 Rapid Intervention team also responded, along with township police and crews from Rockaway Neck Volunteer Ambulance, Par-Troy EMS, St. Clare's EMS and the Parsippany Rescue and Recovery team.

"It was a quick knockdown and a quick overhaul, and no extension into any other apartments," Petito said.

Township fire fighters wrap up their work at the scene of a fire that gutted this basement apartment Wednesday in the Baldwin Manor complex. in Parsippany.

Several ladders were placed on side of the three-story building to access balconies of the apartments above the fire.

"That was just precautionary in case you have fire extension, and you need quick egress to the top floor," Petito said.

No cause was given for the fire, which is under investigation, according to police and fire officials.

"I don't know exactly what happened," said Mayor James Barberio, who was on the scene as fire fighters wrapped up their work. "I know there was a lot of smoke. We're going to have to try and help these residents out. We may have to put one of (the families) up. We'll do what we have to do to help them out."

Barberio also praised the speed and success of the response.

"I'm always proud of our fire department and the job they do," Barberio said.

Staff Writer William Westhoven: 973-917-9242; wwesthoven@GannettNJ.com.