Flames lit up the evening sky as a heavy volume of fire ripped through an abandoned two story wood frame house located at 349 Berkshire Valley Road in Roxbury, New Jersey. Just before midnight on Thursday, October 30, 2008 the Roxbury Fire Department requested tankers (water tenders) from nine surrounding towns to respond to the scene this fully involved working structure fire. Authorities stated that the home, built in approximately 1870, had been abandoned for nearly fifteen years. The deep seated fire was brought under control in just about an hour by means of a tanker shuttle and pool operation due to the lack of sufficient hydrants in this residential area. Firefighters from Jefferson Township Company # 2 responded to the scene, as did firefighters from Mount Arlington, Hopatcong, Wharton, Mine Hill, Netcong, Budd Lake, Chester and Randolph. Incident command was terminated as the last hot spots were extinguished, nearly five hours later. No injuries were reported. The fire is under investigation by the Roxbury Fire Prevention Bureau, the Morris County Prosecutor's Office's Arson Squad and Roxbury Police Department.

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