Mercer County

‘Devastating' Fire Rips Through NJ Senior and Community Center

Flames and smoke could be seen coming from the Ewing Senior & Community Center in Mercer County Friday morning

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A 'devastating' fire destroyed part of the roof of a New Jersey community building and senior center Friday morning.

Flames could be seen coming from the Ewing Senior & Community Center on Lower Ferry Road in Ewing, Mercer County, as SkyForce10 hovered overhead around 6:15 a.m. Part of the roof appeared to have caved in.

"Emergency personnel are currently operating at a large fire at the Ewing Community Center," the Ewing Police Department wrote on Facebook.

Firefighters first responded to the scene just before 3 a.m. Friday to find "heavy fire throughout the roof," West Trenton Volunteer Fire Co. Chief Mike Anderson said.

The fire eventually expanded to five alarms, Anderson said. It was brought under control after several hours.

Authorities didn't report any injuries.

The center "is the home base for senior activities," according to its website.

Anderson said "we lost most of the back of the building there in a roof collapse." However, some offices and other parts of the building were saved.

"It's very devastating, but we are absolutely going to rebuild," Ewing Mayor Bert Steinmann said.

Steinmann said that luckily, there is a second community center in town where some services can be shifted to.

Police warned people in the area to avoid Parkway Avenue and Lower Ferry Road as they closed those roads while "we work to get control of the situation."

The cause of the blaze remained under investigation Friday.

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