Biggest fire in 15 years draws tristate responders

By Anya Tikka
MONTAGUE, N.J. — The biggest fire to break out in Montague, N.J., in some 15 years brought 15 fire departments from surrounding communities rushing out to help.
Two Pike County fire departments, from Dingman Township and Westfall, assisted by holding down the fort at the Montague firehouse while busy firefighters waged battle on River Road.
“We did not assist on the actual fire that evening," Dingman Fire Department messaged the Courier. "We provided fire protection coverage from the Montague firehouse in case another emergency broke out in Montague Township."
The Montague Fire Department's deputy chief, Kyle Gottemoller, said there were no injuries, although the barn was large. He said it was Montague's biggest fire in 15 years.
The barn was mostly used for storage, he said.
“A neighbor called it in," Gottemoller said. "The cause is undetermined. I honesty don't know what was there because it was all unidentifiable stuff.”
Sirens wailed and emergency lights flashed all around the tristate corner as crews from New Jersey, New York, and Pennsylvania reported to the scene, including from Branchville, Frankford, Sandyston, and Wantage in Sussex County, in addition to Montague.
From neighboring New York, fire departments came from Cuddebackville, Greenville, Huguenot, Mt. Hope, Otisville, Port Jervis, Sparrowbush, and Unionville.
Detective Greg Lewis at the Sussex State Police barracks said the cause of the fire is still under investigation but is not believed to be suspicious.
Calls to the Sussex County Fire Investigator’s office were not returned by press time.