At 6:38 p.m.Saturday January 21, Jackson fire companies were called to a fire in which two homeless men were burned in a propane explosion inside an old trailer camper located at the rear of 95 North County Line Road. “The flash fire caused third degree burns to the right arm and possible airway burn to a male age 42, and the second male, age 47, suffered first and second degree burns on his hands, forearm, and scalp,” stated Jackson Fire Station 55 Captain Jack Siedler, who served as the incident commander. The male with the most severe injury was initially transported to Jersey Shore Memorial Hospital and later transferred to St. Barnabas Burn Center, and the second was transported to Kimball Hospital. An engine company crew from Jackson Station 55 temporarily located at Jackson Mills Station 54 on a cover assignment responded first and was on the scene within minutes. Fire fighters from Station 55 and Cassville Station 56 had the fire under control within five minutes, however the camper was destroyed in the fast fire. An off-duty career fire fighter/EMT from Jackson Station 55 who happened to be driving by the fire also assisted the burn victims at the scene until the arrival of EMS. The nearby Freewood Acres Fire Company Station 19-5 provided coverage for Jackson Station 55 during the fire.
Emergency medical services at the scene and hospital transport were provided by the Jackson First Aid Squad and Mon-Oc EMT-Paramedics. Jackson fire personnel cleared the scene at 11:18 p.m.
The entire fire incident is being investigated by the Ocean County Fire Marshal’s Office, Ocean County Prosecutor’s Office, Jackson Building Code Officials, Jackson District 4 Fire Official, and the Jackson Police Department.

