HOPEWELL TOWNSHIP — A multi-alarm fire at a townhouse that sent thick plumes of black smoke into the air late Wednesday morning killed the homeowner.

Hopewell Police said a niece of David Burket, 70, stopped by the Pebble Creek Court home in Brandon Farms and discovered the home on fire around 11:15 a.m.

Fire crews that responded to the home found Burket deceasd on the first floor of the two story building and caused heat smoke and water damage. The fire left the home uninhabitable. An adjoining townshome was also badly damaged while another suffered minor damage, according to police.

Photo journalist Brian McCarthy said the smoke could be seen from several miles away as he drove to the scene on nearby Federal City Road.

While temperatures were not as frigid as the past several days, it was around 25 degrees as the flames broke out. A tweet declared the fire under control just before 1 p.m.

McCarthy said neighbors came out to watch the firefighting effort and hugged each other. A car was sitting in the driveway of the home. Firefighters ran hoses through a second floor window. They also used multiple Stat-X fire supression devices to put out the blaze.

Police said the fire does not appear to be suspicious but remains under investigation.

Pennington Fire Company sent all its crews to the fire along with mutal aid from Hopewell Valley, Hopewell, Union Fire & Rescue, Lawrence Road, Lawrenceville, Lawrence Township, Ewing Township, West Trenton and Princeton.

 

Contact reporter Dan Alexander at Dan.Alexander@townsquaremedia.com or via Twitter @DanAlexanderNJ

 

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