Shortly after 2pm, on April 11, 2006, Paulsboro, New Jersey Firefighters were called for a brush fire along the Mantua Creek.
As they were leaving there Stations they could see a huge column of black smoke in the sky. The first in Units along with Paulsboro Fire Chief Gary Stevenson knew that this was not a typical brush fire and this one presented its self a dangerous blaze.
The flames were now racing with a strong wind pushing the fire through the 10 foot high marsh weeds which was covering a 25 acre area along the Mantua Creek.
The fire heading for one of the towns largest Chemical Plants. Also two railroad tank cars which were parked on the railroad tracks and many homes adjoining the marsh lands, one of the tank cars was loaded with brake fluid and the other was loaded with transmission fluid.
The Chief immediately radioed County Radio for additional Companies and Brush Trucks, including the New Jersey State Forest Service which dispatched four Units along with a fire fighting aircraft that made a water drop cutting off the spread of fire.
The New Jersey State Forest Service could see the blaze from their Medford NJ tower in Burlington County some 30 miles away.
Gloucester County Units battled the blaze for over 2 hours and prevented the fire from spreading to any nearby homes and industrial plants before the fire was placed under control.
