Raging fire destroys upscale West Windsor home

by Michael Ratcliffe/The Times http://www.nj.com

WEST WINDSOR -- A raging fire Wednesday evening destroyed a large home in an upscale housing development.

The two-alarm inferno on Restrick Court, off Zaitz Farm Road near Old Trenton Road, sent up a column of smoke that was visible for miles.

The cause remained under investigation Wednesday night, but fire officials said they believe the blaze started inside the home's attached garage where a resident was working on a motorcycle.

It was unclear last night how long the fire had been burning before the first 911 call was made to police shortly before 7:30 p.m., officials said, noting that smoke from the fire was visible long before police and firefighters arrived on the scene.

Firefighters said much of the house was already engulfed in flames by then. Initially, firefighters and police feared that three residents might be trapped inside the burning house, but all three were later located outside and were safe.

Fire crews from West Windsor, East Windsor, Hightstown, Plainsboro, Robbinsville, Hamilton, Lawrence and elsewhere pour water on the blaze for hours using multiple hoses on the ground and the water canon atop a fire truck's raised ladder.

Sections of the home, including the roof, collapsed during the fire. By 9 p.m., all that remained was a blackened skeleton of a house from which smoke and steam wafted.

Ambulance crews from West Windsor and East Windsor were on hand but reported no injuries as of 9 p.m.

Firefighters expected to remain on scene throughout the night dousing hot spots and aiding investigators.

Tax records show that the destroyed home was assessed for $734,000 in 2007, while the 1.5-acre lot itself was assessed for an additional $324,000.

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