Firefighters battled a series of fires throughout town last night.
According to a statement released by Linden Police officials, it all began at about 10pm, with reports of a fire at 809 N. Wood Avenue, The Linden Fire Department and mutual aid units quickly arrived on scene and battled the two-alarm blaze. Residents from a neighboring building were evacuated due to their proximity to the fire, however, no injuries were reported.
Officials say about 30 minutes later, a second fire was reported in an empty home on the 900 block of Seymour Avenue, the two-alarm fire severely damaged the home before it was brought under control, but no injuries were reported. Residents from a neighboring home were displaced by the fire; those residents were relocated with assistance from the American Red Cross.
As both fires were still active, firefighters also responded to a series of small brush fires in the nearby area, as well as a dumpster fire at nearby Soehl Middle School. Those fires were quickly extinguished and no significant damage was reported.
While it is unclear if the fires are connected, they are considered suspicious and remain under investigation by the Linden Fire Department, the Union County Arson Investigation team, and the Linden Police Department.
Anyone with information about these incidents is urged to contact Linden Police Detective Matt Jones or Tim Hubert at (908) 474-8537.