A Montgomery Township family was left homeless after a fire destroyed their home on County Route 601/The Great Road shortly before 11 p.m. on Oct. 5, according to the Montgomery Township Police Department.
The homeowners discovered heavy smoke in the house after waking up, police said. They were able to safely evacuate from the house, but their dog died in the fire.
The residents suffered from smoke inhalation. The Montgomery EMS took them to the Penn Medicine Princeton Medical Center at Plainsboro for treatment.
The cause of the fire is under investigation, but the initial investigation points to a space heater in the living room. Several lithium batteries were found in the house while firefighters were extinguishing the blaze, police said.
Montgomery Township Volunteer Fire Co. No. 1 and Montgomery Township Volunteer Fire Co. No. 2 responded, along with the Rocky Hill Fire Department. Firefighters from Hillsborough Township, Hopewell Township and the Millstone Valley Department also responded.
The Somerset County Hazardous Materials Response Team responded because of the lithium batteries that had been found in the house.
