A fire that caused extensive damage to a Shippan home on Saturday night was caused by an electrical short circuit in a light fixture, Chief Fire Marshal Walter Seely said.
Thirty-two firefighters descended on the home at 128 Fairfiew Avenue just after 7:40 p.m. Saturday when a neighbor called 911 to report the house on fire.
Engine 4 from the Shippan firehouse arrived first and found that the fire had already spread from the second floor into the attic and through the roof of the single family home. The fire began in the second floor ceiling, according to a report from Deputy Fire Chief Eric Lorenz.
It took firefighters less than an hour to bring the blaze under control. The residence, which is home to a husband and wife and their son, was occupied at the time, but the family was able to get out safely.