Friday afternoon around one o’clock as the crew of engine 59 were leaving to pay their last respects to Flanders Assistant Chief Tom Shields the tones were dropped for a television set on fire outside the home at 47 Flanders Drakestown Rd. Engine 59 was just down the street and was on scene within a minute under the direction of Captain Dorlan and reported a working fire and that it was going through the roof and requested a second alarm. The crew stretched an inch and three quarter line and started to knock down the porch and first floor area. Chief Evans arrived with other units and started to set up a water shuttle do the lack of fire hydrants in the area. With the Flanders Fire Department out of service due to their funeral commitment for Chief Shields the Chester Fire Department was also dispatched for a full response. A ladder from Chester Fire arrived and went to work venting the roof as additional hand lines were put in place crews tried on two occasions to make in interior attack but were forced out due to heavy fire and water problems. After knocking down the bulk of the fire from the outside crew were able to go back in and extinguish the rest of the fire. The fire was brought under control within two hours. There was one firefighter injury he was treated at the scene and released. The mutual aid companies that assisted were not all the normal crews because there were stand by crews put in place for the Funeral detail that included Randolph, Rockaway Twp., Morris Plains and Chester Fire Companies Hackettstown and Netcong Fire were assigned as the R.I.C. companies. Several other companies were dispatched for the Tender task force and station coverage the mutual aid coordinate Chief Alderton was also on the scene to coordinate that effort. The fire is under investigation by the Morris County, Mt. Olive Police and the Office of The Fire Marshal.
