Red Rock Preserve fire and response

A fire on Wednesday, March 18, 2026 at the Red Rock development displaced residents.

The Township’s March 20 release from Mayor James Schworn reported that Branchburg’s fire, police and EMS personnel responded along with volunteer fire and rescue services from neighboring towns, that no lives were lost, and that approximately 60–80 residents were displaced. It said the Township worked with the property owner, Conifer Realty, and the Red Cross to stabilize the situation and secure temporary accommodations and basic necessities, and described the Township’s role as immediate emergency response and short-term stabilization, with longer-term housing, placement and social services coordinated at the county level, typically with the State and organizations such as the Red Cross. It directed offers of help to established service providers and listed county resources.

The March 27 update said residents displaced by the fire were being assisted through county services after the initial township response, recognized Captain Ed Edgar and Health Officer Jim Norgalis as lead coordinators for the Office of Emergency Management, and credited the Branchburg PTO with coordinating local relief from a central location at River Lea Farm. It stated that the fire investigation was ongoing, that authorities had ruled out arson, and that preliminary findings indicated the fire was accidental.

At the Committee, March 23. At the March 23, 2026 meeting, Mayor Schworn said that, because of the quick actions of the Police and Fire Departments, there were no injuries or fatalities from the fire, which destroyed numerous units at the complex. During the Administrator’s report he said the fire caused major losses to the property and the residents; that residents were being assisted by Somerset County Social Services and the Red Cross; and that the Office of Emergency Management and other agencies had helped residents find temporary housing. Administrator Gregory Bonin thanked the emergency services, staff and local businesses that stepped in. The minutes say the Township would post more information on where to donate.

April 13. At the April 13 meeting, Mr. Bonin said Somerset County, Conifer, the United Way and other volunteer agencies were continuing to help affected residents, and that the Branchburg PTO had organized the donations and would begin distributing them that week. Health Officer Jim Norgalis’s March report to the Board of Health covered the fire. Mrs. Anna Columbus said she hoped the Red Rock Preserve could clean up the back of the building destroyed by the fire, and that she had visited the Fairfield Suites, where some of the displaced residents were staying. Mayor Schworn said the Township would send residents another information blast when the Red Rock Preserve fire report is available.

The Committee’s minutes from April 27 through October 12, 2026 record no further report on the fire. Residents can read the Township’s releases and ask for an update in public comment at a Committee meeting. See the explainer for the full account.