The fatal crash that took the lives of a beloved coach and his wife on Jan. 17 has prompted concerns from residents about the lack of nearby fire hydrants in the Mullica Chase neighborhood where the accident occurred.
A group of those residents addressed the Harrison Township Committee meeting on Jan. 20.
It was in Mullica Chase that former Clearview High coach Thomas Hengel and his wife Lisa were killed after their SUV crashed into a home on Banff Drive and ignited a fire that engulfed both the structure and the vehicle. It is believed Hengel lost control of his vehicle, causing it to accelerate.
A Mullica Chase neighbor, Gary DeVine, praised the quick actions of first responders to the scene, but noted that the locations of fire hydrants may have inhibited the response.
“Our fire hydrants happen to be 792 feet near Amber Court,” he said. “The other one is 501 feet near High Street. It was a time span in between where the fire burned and there wasn’t water being put on there. Again, I’m not blaming the individual, I’m blaming the location of the hydrants.
“We live in a danger zone because the fire hydrants are so far away,” DeVine added. “These firemen got to run these hoses and then hook these couplings up. I know they have 200-foot hoses, but they’re awfully heavy. I wish my complaint and suggestion had been followed through with (the company) American Water.
“Now we have a house that’s been damn near completely destroyed.”
According to DeVine, several neighbors in the development expressed similar concerns about the hydrant placements. They would like to see one added on Banff Drive between High Street and Amber Court.
Bill White is an original homeowner in Mullica Chase, which dates back to the 1970s. He had thoughts on the reasons for the placements.
“There were many elements that were changed at the last minute,” he recalled. “We were one of the last people to purchase in that development and things like the streetlights, that was reduced. I remember when I bought in the community, I wanted to know where all the streetlights were.
“And by the time the development was finished,” White added, “we were one of the last five. Boom. Reductions were taking place with the streetlights and the materials.”
White suggested the township review original site plans, if available, to determine what was removed to allow for the hydrants. Township Administrator Dennis Chambers also addressed the issue.
“I’m sure it was done to standard at the time,” he explained. “They (American Water) may not get pushback. In these kinds of cases, it is always cautionary. Once you put one in where it’s not entirely by code, it kind of snowballs. If the fire chief thinks it’s way too far of a distance, then maybe there’s a broader issue there and there could be other areas like this.”
The committee will request that American Water conduct an evaluation of both Mullica Chase and the entire town before taking further action on the hydrants to ensure adherence to codes.
The next Harrison Township Committee meeting is scheduled for 7 p.m. on Monday.
