Busy Morning For Lawrence Township Fire Department

October 5, 2020

LAWRENCE TOWNSHIP, NJ (MERCER)–This morning the Lawrence Township Fire Department responded to a couple of potentially serious calls that were mitigated.

The first call at 9:45 am was on Gainsboro Road where an excavator hit a gas line. Firefighters evacuated houses on Gainsboro and Marlboro for about a half hour. Lawrence was backed up by Ewing Township Station 31 until the gas was shut down by PSE&G.

Then around 10:54 am the Lawrence Township Fire Department was dispatched to 4140 Quakerbridge Road at PSE&G at the Lawrence Electric Delivery station for something smoking with a chemical smell behind one of the trucks in the yard. Hamilton Township Fire Department was also called in to standby for water supply in case it was needed.

It was determined that a power inverter hooked to batteries was the cause of the fumes. Firefighters used CO2 and ABC dry chemical extinguishers on the batteries and equipment before using a 1 3/4 line for final extinguishment. There was no hazard to anyone at the plant.