Fire on Grand Ave
Coming home from S/R and smoke coming from roof of house. "Emergency" coming down the road.
Say a prayer for the owner of this house. Hope everyone is out
Bernie 
Spence Everyone out. Was three apartments. One college student in one. A couple in another and I think one man in third. Everyone ok but maybe loss of one Pet. House looked totally destroyed. Still putting it out 5 minutes ago. And fire so hot that siding on house next door all melted on that side. So sad. Looks like they lost everything.
Dogcookie Lady 
Booster90 
Botheredbyuu2 From Hackettstown Police Facebook
Press Release(1/27/18): Structure Fire
On 1/27/18 at approx. 3:28PM the Hackettstown Police, Hackettstown Fire Department and the Hackettstown Rescue Squad responded to 311 Grand Ave for a report of a structure fire. When officers arrived on scene, they observed flames and smoke coming from the structure. The officers then were advised that the residents had been evacuated. The officers then observed the fire spreading to 313 Grand Ave. The officers were then advised that those residents had also been evacuated. There were no injuries reported. Five people have been displaced and the Hackettstown Office of Emergency Management along with the American Red Cross are helping them with temporary housing. Grand Ave has been reopened. The cause of the fire remains under investigation. Assisting at the scene was the Hackettstown Detective Bureau, Hackettstown Fire Police, Hackettstown Department of Public Works, Mansfield Township Police Department, Warren County Fire Marshal, Mount Olive Township Fire Marshal, Mansfield Township Rescue Squad, Independence Township Fire Department, Tri-County Fire Company, Washington Boro Fire Department, Budd Lake Fire Department, Netcong Fire Department, Jersey Central Power and Light and Elizabethtown Gas.
Red Light 
me 
littlelu So...... was the guy who wrote that article at the fire? Was the last who knocked on doors a passenger in his car?
maja2 As the owner of 313 grand avenue I want to give a big thank you and shout out to all the first responders. They did a great job in protecting my home and extinguishing my neighbors home. Under the direction of the Hackettstown fire chief they all performed quickly and professionally in protecting the lives of the occupants and protecting our property. Great job everyone!!
Glen Anything happening with this house? Looks like it did the day after the fire, will it be repaired or torn down?
eapos The mayor said something about it on the radio. They either need to redo it or tear it down.
Mike Rolls Probably tied up in a complicated insurance claim. And without the insurance money, the owner may not be able to afford to do anything with it.
JerseyWolf The town passed an ordinance earlier this year to be able to knock it down. The owner said it was rebuildable and asked the court to delay the demolition. He was supposed to have architecture drawings and an estimated start and end time submitted to the courts by sept 19th. If not the town will proceed with demo. I don’t know if he made that deadline
This was all discussed at the Sept 13th public town council meeting
Jim L 
Route 46Is the owner still paying their taxes? If so, how can an ordinance be written to demolish a citizens property whose owner has safely boardered up the structure and is paying their taxes, implying that improvements are intended?
justintime 
Mark Mc. Partly boarded up, still mostly open. Grass was only cut once or twice. They never cleared the sidewalk in the snow storm (I eventually did it, just so the block was walk-able.)
Wish they would get off the stick and repair it. Not a very neighborly sight, going on a year now.
Agust to answer JIT's question, the property owner had not safely boarded up the home at the time of the ordinance. The fire was in January. Nothing was done to secure, board up or even clean the mess. So the Town introduced an ordinance at the May 10th meeting and let the listed property owner know what was happening. The listed property owner showed up to the June 14th meeting and stated for the record that he did not own the building at the time of the fire, that the bank did, and that he didn't get the insurance money from the damages. ( on record available to listen to).
Then at the June 28th council meeting the same listed property owner came back and somehow remembered that he did own the property and wanted to rebuild it and ask for time to get quotes and rebuild. Quite amazing in 2 weeks he realized he owned the building. Again on public record available to listen to.
So he went to court to ask for time and the judge gave him specific instructions and deadlines he needed to meet to stop the demo. He met those deadlines at the last second and got permission to stop the demo and do the rebuild. But as you can still see by driving by it, the home is still not fully boarded up and no rebuilding has taken place.
So it took the introduction of a ordinance to get the property owner to move forward and even still he is doing the bare minimum
JUST IN TIME, how would you like to live next to or near a burned out, boarded up building for more than a year? Fix it now, or tear it down!
Must be a haven for wildlife.
Bats, rats, squirrels and mice,
"open house" living must sure be nice.
I wonder if it was being used as a multi family dwelling but was only zoned as single family and he is dragging his feet to get it re zoned.
CJ. “Fix it now, or tear it down!”
Those words roll off the tongue, don’t they? But putting it into action isn’t nearly as easy though, is it?
To say “just do it already” ignores a whole host of issues to be dealt with and over simplifies the situation. As long as there is positive movement: taxes still being paid, property is safely being maintained, a plan is in process, then patience is required.
IOW, if you were in the situation how would you reply to your own comments?
dodgebaal It was discussed publicly at last night's town council meeting that the owner had agreed to have the work COMPLETED by February 19th. Now one would think in order to have the completed by that date, it should have STARTED by now. So we will see if he meets that agreed upon deadline.
If he were just to sell it as is to someone who would be willing to put the work into it, how would that be affected by the CCO?
i would guess he would have a hard time getting a CCO so he would not be able to sell it in its current condition. He would have to do the repairs or knock it down and sell the empty lot.
Or they might abandon the property, which is likely given your CCO description. Too bad the town would prevent someone from buying it for a song and rebuilding it...
Why would someone need a CO or CCO for a building that no one wishes or proposes to occupy?
ianimal Plus, I would guess the building's been condemned, so technically there is no current Certificate of Occupancy to "continue"...
Would you also be required to build a habitable house on a vacant lot before you could sell the land?
Luca Yeah there is a interesting point to the towns cco requirement....what about as is homes where the owner chooses not to make any repairs, from the sound of it the town would be preventing these type sales
Darrin Commenting is no longer available.