Galloway Firefighters Contain Greenhouse Fire On Prague Avenue

Galloway volunteer firefighters contained a fire with flames that were an estimated 30-feet high in a heavily wooded section of the township on Thursday afternoon, Feb. 21.

Volunteer firefighters from Germania and Pomona reported to the scene of a fire on North Prague Avenue in the Germania section of the township at 12:17 p.m.

Firefighters contained the fire within 10 minutes. No people suffered injuries, according to Fire Marshal Ron Garbutt.

According to Garbutt, the fire started in a storage shed in the back of a residence. The shed had a greenhouse with chickens inside it, attached to the shed. 

Garbutt is investigating the fire, but believes its origins may have been in a heating lamp provided for the chickens.

"Someone in the house observed the (shed and the greenhouse were) on fire," Garbutt said. "When we arrived, the structure was fully involved."

According to Garbutt, the flames were as high as the house when the fire departments arrived.

"Flames must have been 30 feet hight," Garbutt said. "Luckily, the wind was blowing parallel. There was a concern with the heat and the wood siding, and all the trees, but there was no damage to the house."

All the homes in the area are set back from the street, and are surrounded by tall trees.

None of the trees caught fire, but the shed and the greenhouse were destroyed.