FRANKLIN TWP., N.J. – A fatal fire in Franklin Township is currently under investigation, as announced by Somerset County Prosecutor John P. McDonald, Chief of County Detectives Francisco Roman Jr., and Public Safety Director Quovella M. Maeweather. The incident occurred on Thanksgiving night.
At approximately 11:49 p.m., local fire and police departments responded to a report of a residential fire on Amwell Road. The single-family home was fully engulfed upon their arrival. After extinguishing the fire, firefighters discovered the remains of a resident.
The Somerset County Fire Investigation Unit, Franklin Township Police Detectives, and the New Jersey Northern Regional Medical Examiners Office are conducting a joint investigation. The identity of the deceased is pending confirmation by the Medical Examiner. The investigation aims to determine the fire’s cause and origin.
Multiple fire companies, including Middlebush, Millstone Valley, Somerset Fire and Rescue, Elizabeth Avenue, Community Fire and Rescue, Woods Road, and Hillsborough, responded to the scene. The Somerset County Communications Center provided dispatch and logistical support.
Authorities urge anyone with information to contact the Somerset County Prosecutor’s Office Fire Investigation Unit at (908) 231-7100, the Franklin Township Police Department at (732) 873-5533, or through the STOPit app using access code: SOMERSETNJ. Anonymous tips can also be submitted to the Somerset County Crime Stoppers’ Tip Line at 1-888-577-TIPS (8477). All information will be kept confidential.