BRICK: At approximately 5:57 AM on November 14, 2023, a general alarm was transmitted to dispatch Brick Township Fire Department and was requested to respond to a report of a working fire from the second floor of Willows Springs Rehabilitation and Healthcare Center located at 1049 Burnt Tavern Road.

First arriving officer was Assistant Chief Tom Thieme Jr. (2110). He reported smoke from the second floor Applewood unit, room 210. All occupants were moved to safety by facility staff, arriving fire department personnel, Brick Police and Brick EMS units.

Upon further investigation it was determined that an electrical fire had occurred in room 210 in a light fixture. The fire was contained to the room of origin with some minor smoke damage. The Fire Department made quick work of the smoke condition and confirmed that the fire was under control within minutes of their arrival. The scene was under command of Chief David Bahrenburg (2300), Fire District 2 and is being investigated by Inspector Robert Kurilla from the Brick Bureau of Fire Safety. All residents of the 148-bed two story building, except for the fire origin room, were able to return to normal operations.

One staff member and two occupants of the fire origin room were transported to Ocean University Medical Center with minor injuries reported. The quick and decisive actions taken by the staff of the facility are commendable. Due to their quick response to the incident, only minor injuries are reported and damage was contained to the fire origin room. The Brick Bureau of Fire Safety would like to thank the quick response of all the Brick Township Fire Departments, our mutual aid partners, Brick Township Police, Brick EMS and Township Emergency Management for their quick response.

The importance of conducting and practicing fire drills and having accurate fire evacuation plans led to effective actions taken by the staff. Those actions, in conjunction with the fire department response kept further injury and the fire small and controllable with minimal disruption to the building.