A police officer investigating a burglar alarm at the Sweetwater Casino Restaurant in Mullica Township discovered the building fully involved in fire. The fire was discovered at 4:13 a.m., and all four Mullica Township volunteer fire companies (Elwood, Weekstown, Sweetwater, and Nesco) were dispatched.
Sweetwater Chief Gary Franklin requested apparatus from all three neighboring communities, Ladder 10 from the Egg Harbor City FD, Tanker 9 from the Hammonton FD, and both engines and water tenders from the Washington Township FD of Burlington County, Lower Bank and Green Bank.
The Sweetwater Casino was a popular eatery located along the scenic Mullica River. A wood frame structure, 100 x 100 of 5B ordinary construction, it was built in the 1920s as a speakeasy and at one time actually had a casino.
Franklin's first in engine from Sweetwater stopped at the front of the building and began a master stream operation, while another Mullica Twp. engine lay out to the nearby river to begin a drafting operation. Firefighters first thoughts were on the nearby docks and the boats docked nearby as some contained occupants. A water curtain was started to separate the fire from the boats. The Nesco and Elwood fire companies water tenders arrived, they began feeding the engines.
Franklin then requested the Atlantic County water tender task force A, bringing engines and water tenders Hamilton Township, Galloway Township, Port Republic, Egg Harbor Township, City of Absecon, and City of Somers Point. Part of the water tender task force is engines equipped with LDH. Part of the problem with the location of the restaurant is not only is it well hidden deep in the pinelands of southern New Jersey, but there is only one way in--- and out!
Elwood Chief Anthony Tomasco conferred with the water tender co-coordinator Clifford 'Chip' Stockton and decided to run a LDH supply line out from the fire scene to a townhouse complex further up 7th Avenue, the street the driveway to the restaurant- 1/8 of a mile long- was located, roughly a 2000 foot lay. There, portable ponds would be set to allow the water tenders to back in, unload, and go refill. Two Galloway Township engines, South Egg Harbor & Pomona, laid the LDH and then positioned themselves to draft from the pond and relay to a engine from Bayview (Galloway) who relayed to the scene.
Two City of Somers Point engines and one Farmington engine (Egg Harbor Twp.) were brought to the scene via 7th Avenue, to New Hampshire Avenue, then down a gravel road to a bulkhead along the river at the rear of the fire to draft and supply the fire scene. Only one Somers Point engine was utilized due to space constraints.
Firefighters continued to pour water onto the fire for most of the day, and investigators believe the fire was caused by a lightning strike. One firefighter was taken to the hospital for a cardiac related problem.
