Temple Blaze Battled By Firefighter-Helping Neighbor

Parsippany Police say an overheated electrical cord led to a structure fire just after 6 a.m. Thursday at Congregation Shaya Ahavat Torah on Hawkins Avenue.

The fire was discovered by an individual who entered the temple in early morning and smelled smoke, according to a police statement. That person reportedly left the temple and spoke with a neighbor who saw flames coming from the building's rear, ran to his home and brought back a fire extinguisher as 9-1-1 was being called, police said.

"The neighbor was able to contain the flames with the extinguisher and a garden hose until Parsippany Fire Districts 5 and 4 [the Parsippany-Troy Hills and Lake Hiawatha departments] arrived at the location and extinguished the blaze," said PPD spokesperson Ptlm. Earl Kinsey, who added that firefighters stayed at the temple to ensure it would not reignite.

PPD and Morris County Prosecutor's Office arson investigators responded to determine the cause of the blaze, Kinsey said—and officers were sent to Parsippany's other Jewish faith communities to ensure that they were safe just in case.

But the fire's cause, according to the police statement, was found to be a malfunctioning sump pump motor that had been operating after Wednesday night's heavy rains; the cord that supplied electrical power to the pump overheated and caused the fire to occur.

Police said there were no injuries reported.