A plume of smoke still drifted overhead as area residents tried to find out more about a warehouse fire that started Thursday afternoon. Watch video
HILLSBOROUGH -- A plume of black smoke rising into the air Friday morning was the talk of the township as area residents tried to find out what information they could about a warehouse fire that started Thursday afternoon and is still burning.
As a plume of smoke drifted overhead, people gathered at the QuickChek store on Route 206 about a mile away from the fire.
"The firefighters have been constant," QuickChek worker Jason Garnel said as he made sandwiches-to-go for customers. "I came in at 6, and they've been coming to us for coffee and a bunch of food."
The store's donated food and beverages to the firefighters. "They've been getting sandwich platters, muffins, coffees, all sorts of goodies," Garnel said. "And water."
Residents told to avoid smoke, schools closed
By 10:15 a.m., the store had handed out about two cases of water, 14 to 15 gallons of coffee and a couple dozen sandwiches, he said.
Len Pizzolato, who has lived in the township for 50 years, said the fire is "the worst one I've seen." He went all over on Thursday checking the fire from different angles. "I was up at 206 and around there, then they shut the highway down and I came around the back section, off Royce Brook Road.
"It was out of control," he said. "They had trucks going out to the main road to fill up and go back," he said. "It was pretty tight back there by the railroad tracks."
He stopped at the Wawa at Route 206 and Triangle Road for some coffee Friday and to check the status of the blaze. He lives nearby, he said, but no one was evacuated.
Officials have said smoke from the fire doesn't pose any risks, but Pizzolato was still concerned. "Years ago they used to keep a lot of bad stuff there, like mercury," he said.
The last of the mercury was removed from the site in 2010 and officials today said the fire did not spread to any buildings where the mercury was stored.
The Mathewsons parked at the Wawa, where five of them watched the smoke rise in the distance. Dale, Eddie and Randy Mathewson were there with their dad Walt and Dale's wife Nancy. "We're just taking it all in," Eddie said.
Edna Lovelady wasn't in town when the fire broke out on Thursday. "I was in South Plainfield," she said. "I got a call from my sister in Philadelphia, asking me 'what's up with that fire?'" she said. "I said 'What fire?' and she said it was all over the news. I told her, 'I don't know!' and it turns out it's only minutes from me."
Lovelady was detoured when she tried to return to Hillsborough Thursday evening. "I couldn't come up Manville," she said. "There were cars everywhere. So I went through Somerville."
Roads had reopened by Friday morning, but area schools were closed and residents nearby were advised to stay indoors.
Sallie Graziano may be reached at sgraziano@njadvancemedia.com. Follow her on Twitter @SallieGraziano. Find The Hunterdon County Democrat on Facebook.