Fire destroys Wayne home; homeowner uninjured

A fire destroyed a Wayne Township home, but the homeowner was able to escape without getting hurt.

The fire broke out Friday afternoon at 194 McDonald Drive. Fire officials said that the fire started on the back deck and then quickly spread to the rest of the house.

Neighbors tell News 12 New Jersey that they heard what seemed to be an explosion after the fire started.

“I looked out my window…and I saw the desk pulled away from the house and flames and smoke,” says neighbor Joanne Hanlon.

Hanlon says that she saw the woman who lives in the house with her father get out uninjured following an explosion. She says that she was worried that the fire would spread to her home, but firefighters were able to keep it from spreading.

Wayne Fire Commissioner John Wozniak said that the fire consumed the entire house and that it is inhabitable. Wozniak said that the strong winds and frigid temperatures made fighting the fire particularly difficult.

There were no injuries reported to residents or firefighters.

The cause of the fire was not immediately known.