Smoky Fire At Store Filled with Pesticides

On a night that was already hot, Cranford firefighters battled a smoky fire at Arnold's Pest Control, at 496 Centennial Avenue, in a building where pesticides were stored on the first floor.

Because of the heavy smoke, firefighters wore masks and heavy gear. Tents were set up so firefighters had a place to get a drink of water and cool off before going back to fighting the fire.

The fire was reported about 7 p.m.  T.G. Jimenez, who lives nearby at 503 Centennial, said he saw the fire coming out of the building and ran over and knocked on the door. "No one responded," he said, so he notified the police.

A fire department spokesperson said that when firefighters arrived, the entire front of the building was on fire. The porch had collapsed and firefighters had trouble getting into the building because the stairways also had collapsed.

Firefighters knocked down the flames within a few minutes after arriving,   but there was heavy smoke throughout the building and they continued to hose down the structure for several hours.

Firefighters from Westfield, Union and Linden also responded to the call.

No one was inside the building at the time of the fire, apparently.

Firefighters said that as of now, they don't believe the fire had anything to do with the pesticides stored in the building. The incident is being investigated by the Cranford Police and Union County authorities, said Fire Department Chief Leonard Dolan.