'Devastating': 5 alarm fire damages Ewing Township Senior and Community Center
Ewing Township Mayor Bert Steinmann called the fire devastating to the community.
EWING TWP., New Jersey (WPVI) -- A fire inside a community center in Mercer County, New Jersey reached five alarms before firefighters were able to get it under control Friday morning.
The fire broke out just before 3 a.m. at the Ewing Township Senior and Community Center on the 900 block of Lower Ferry Road.
According to West Trenton Fire Chief Michael Anderson, arriving crews found heavy fire coming through the roof.
A second alarm was struck moments later to bring in additional resources.
Anderson said firefighters had some problems with the water supply while battling the flames.
Part of the roof collapsed and the back of the building is "basically gone," Anderson said.
Firefighters worked for close to five hours to get the fire under control.
There have been no reports of injuries.
Ewing Township Mayor Bert Steinmann called the fire devastating to the community.
According to Ewing, New Jersey's website, the community center is known for "the signature architecture of Louis I. Kahn, one of America's most influential architects of the twentieth century."
The facility also features a pool complex, the historic Trenton Bath Houses, day camp facility, outdoor basketball and tennis courts, a playground and a sand volleyball court.
"The Bath House and Day Camp Pavilions were listed on the New Jersey Register of Historic Places and the National Register of Historic Places in 1984," the site says.
The mayor said they will shift some programs to another center in the township.
A cause of the fire is under investigation.
