Somerville, NJ - Residential Fire With Fatality on Cliff St

Somerville, NJ (September 26, 2022) - Fire officials and first responders reported to the scene after receiving reports of a house fire on Cliff Street in Somerville on Sunday, September 25th. 

A fatality was confirmed by the Deputy Chief.  Officials stated that the investigation into the fire involves the Somerset County Fire Investigation Unit, the Somerset County Prosecutor’s Office Major Crimes Unit, Somerville fire officials, and the Somerville Police Department. 

The area around the residence was still active several hours after crews arrived. Caution tape could be seen surrounding the scene. 

No other details about the fire or subsequent death have been released.

We would like to offer our deepest condolences to the family of the deceased victim at this time.

Residential Fires in New Jersey 

Smoke inhalation is the leading cause of residential fire fatalities, not burn injuries as one might expect. Those who live, however, often experience a significant amount of both. These injuries are exceptionally painful and expensive to treat. 

Most burn injuries are classified into one of three categories: 

• 1st-degree burns: 1st-degree burns affect only the top layer of skin (epidermis), such as you get from sunburn or accidentally touching a hot stove. These burns typically take a few days to heal.
• 2nd-degree burns: These burns reach the second layer of skin (dermis). More serious than a 1st-degree burn, it may require skin grafts and result in permanent scarring.  
• 3rd-degree burns: Burns of this magnitude ravage the third layer (hypodermis), causing the loss of not just the skin but also the sweat glands, hair follicles, and the stratum basale where new skin cells are formed.

Considering that about 80% of fire fatalities in the United States are residential, it is quite obvious that the prevention of residential fires is a major public safety problem. Improper disposal of tobacco products is the number one cause of fatal residential fires while cooking appliances, such as grills and stoves, are the number one cause of burn injuries in residential fires. 

Some of the other leading causes of New Jersey house fires include:  

• Defective appliances
• Obsolete or worn electrics
• Broken or incorrectly installed gas lines
• Obstructed chimney flues
• Faulty or broken furnaces or boilers

Our attorneys work diligently to ensure families have their legal rights protected so they can move forward after a serious burn injury. Contact the burn injury lawyers at metrolaw.com/ by calling (800) 469-6476 to see how we can help you.

Notes: Outside sources were used in the creation of this post including news bulletins and first-hand accounts of the accident and injuries involved. As a result, the details of the accident presented have not been independently verified. If you have identified any false information in the story or would like the post to be removed, please inform us immediately, and we will correct the information or remove the post. 

Disclaimer: As a member of the local community, we at metrolaw.com/ strive to improve the overall safety and quality of life for everyone who lives in our beloved state. We are extremely saddened by these accidents but hope that through an awareness of these dangers, those in our community will take precautions to avoid these accidents. This is not a solicitation for business, and this information should not be misconstrued as medical or legal advice. We wish only the best and quickest recovery to all those involved in the accident. The photos depicted in this post are not from the actual accident scene.