Building Fire at McGraw Hill
East Windsor (Mercer County) November 30, 2007 -
Firefighters from the Robbinsville Division of Fire responded to a building fire
at McGraw Hill on Princeton-Hightstown Road in neighboring East Windsor
Township. Responding on the first alarm were East Windsor Fire Stations 42 and
46, Robbinsville Engine 40, Hightstown Ladder 41, Cranbury Engine 48 and
Plainsboro Rescue 49 as the RIT (Rapid Intervention Team). Robbinsville Engine
40 and Robbinsville Fire Chief Kevin Brink were the first units to respond and
were advised that police on scene had confirmed a fire on the roof of a building
under construction on the south side of the facility. Hightstown’s fire chief
arrived first reporting fire and heavy smoke on the roof and advised responding
companies that he was receiving reports of “four people trapped on the roof.”
An engine from East Windsor responded with a “light” crew (driver and officer
only) and laid a supply line from a yard hydrant. Engine 40 arrived moments
later and picked up the hydrant. While the driver of Engine 40 hooked up to the
hydrant for water supply, the crew of engine 40 carried a ground ladder to the
building to attempt a rescue of the trapped workers on the roof. Once it was
confirmed that the roofers had escaped prior to Fire Department arrival, the
crew of engine 40 returned to the rig for a high rise pack and additional tools
and went to the roof to extinguish the fire.The fire involved burning roofing
materials that had been accidentally ignited by construction crews. Crews on the
roof also had to contend with fire burning in close proximity to several propane
tanks. Once the fire was extinguished, Engine 40 assisted with overhaul and was
released from the scene after about an hour.