Electrical Malfunction Sparked Valley Road Fire

An electrical fire that started underneath the kitchen of a Valley Road home temporarily displaced the couple that lives there, according to fire officials.

The April 4 fire broke out in crawl space located under the kitchen of the two-story home at 88 Valley Road, near the intersection of Jefferson Road.

Princeton Fire Chief Dan Tomalin said the homeowner called 911 about 12:40 p.m. after arriving home and smelling a strong odor of smoke both outside and inside the residence.

Thick brown smoke was billowing from the back of the house when Princeton Township police and firefighters first arrived on the scene, Tomalin said.

Although flames were visible in the crawlspace, it was so narrow that firefighters could not access it safely.

Instead, Tomalin said firefighters used saws to cut through both the kitchen floor and a section of the dining room to get into the crawl space and put out the fire.

The fire was under control in about 45 minutes.

“I think everyone did a great job stopping it [the fire] and keeping it to the kitchen area,” Tomalin said.

While the fire was contained to the area under the kitchen, but was enough to displace the homeowner and his wife for the night, Tomalin said, adding that they planned to stay with relatives until repairs are completed.

One Princeton firefighter suffered a hand injury while battling the blaze. He was treated at University Medical Center at Princeton and later released, Tomalin said.

Princeton received mutual aid assistance from Lawrence, Plainsboro, Rocky Hilly, Princeton Junction and Princeton Plasma Physics Lab Emergency Services, along with emergency medical personnel from Princeton First Aid & Rescue Squad.