Fire at Windsor Ponds displaces residents; township says three units destroyed, investigation ongoing

Township officials said a fire at the Windsor Ponds multiunit development on Sept. 29 destroyed three units and left others uninhabitable, though no injuries were reported.

Mayor Andrea told the council that the cause is not yet confirmed but that the initial indication was the fire started on a patio where an overloaded extension cord may have ignited material. "We still don't know 100% the cause of the fire, but it appears as if it started on the patio when too many things were plugged into a single, strip, extension cord," the mayor said during the meeting.

Officials said the building firewall performed as intended but that the fire moved into attic spaces where it spread between units; firefighters contained the blaze and saved the final unit. "The firewall did hold very good," the mayor said, adding that the first three units are inhabitable. Council members thanked professional and volunteer fire crews for their response and said the township will work with displaced residents.

Council members and staff described immediate steps: multiple volunteer and mutual-aid fire departments responded; an investigation is underway; and township staff will coordinate assistance for affected families. At least three families were reported temporarily displaced.

Council members urged residents to use caution with extension cords and electrical load on patios and in temporary setups. The mayor asked residents to be careful about overloading power strips: "Please be careful what you plug in or how much load you put in a single extension cord." No formal township action or policy change was announced at the meeting; council members said they would continue to monitor the investigation and offer support to affected residents.