One dead in Parsippany apartment fire

PARSIPPANY - A 64-year-old man died from injuries sustained in an early morning fire at the Colonial Heights apartment complex off Parsippany Road.

The victim was not identified by responders at the scene, who confirmed the single fatality. Township police said the man was removed from the apartment by fire fighters and transported to Saint Clare's Hospital, where he died from his injuries.

A neighbor in the same multi-unit garden-apartment building, Somesh Saxena, said he evacuated Apt. 4J after hearing a fire alarm sound at about 4 a.m.

"I could not see from my apartment but I heard something pop," said Saxena, speculating it was the front window of the second-floor Apt. 4F, where county investigators were seen conducting their investigation at 7 a.m.

After evacuating, "I saw smoke out of the back of the apartment, thick, black smoke, but no flames," he said.

The fire department arrived within minutes of the alarm, according to Saxena.

"They did an awesome job," he said.

Parsippany Police Capt. Tom Carney, supervising the scene, confirmed one man was taken from the apartment to the hospital.

"It was a single guy, an older guy, living there," Saxena said. "The apartment below was empty."

Power to the building was shut off and occupants mostly stood outside in the street until they were allowed back into their dwellings shortly after 8:30 a.m.

The American Red Cross arrived and occupied the township Board of Education building directly next to the large apartment complex off Parsippany Road to offer assistance to the displaced residents.

Police closed off the road leading into the complex, but morning rush-hour traffic on Parsippany Road was not affected.

Respondiers to the scene included township police, the Parsippany Troy Hills Fire Department, Lake Parsippany Fire Department, Mount Tabor Fire Department, Lake Hiawatha Fire Department, Parsippany Rescue and Recovery, Par-Troy EMS, Parsippany Volunteer Ambulance, Rockaway Neck First Aid Squad and Saint Clares Hospital BLS all responded to the scene.

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