MARGATE – The U.S. Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms will be assisting with an investigation into a fire Sunday that injured a Postal Service employee and consumed a Dodge Sprinter Postal Service truck.
Police dispatched the Margate City Fire Department to Clarendon Avenue near Amherst at 1:40 p.m. Sunday, June 23. The fire department arrived 2 minutes later and found a Postal Service truck engulfed in flames. Firefighters from Platoon 4, under the direction of incident commander Capt. Anthony Tabasso, initiated their firefighting efforts using a 1.75-inch hose line off Engine 21. Additional apparatus arrived to attack the fire.
Emergency Medical Technicians treated the Postal employee at the scene and an ambulance requested from the Ventnor City Fire Department transported him to Shore Medical Center where he was treated for non-life-threatening injuries.
According to Fire Chief Dan Adams, the fire was quickly knocked down, but the overhaul process was extensive as the truck was loaded with Amazon packages out for delivery.
Fire Investigator Perry Coker responded to investigate the potential cause of the fire.
Because the fire involved federal government property, federal agencies also responded, including U.S. Postmaster General’s Office, and Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms. The Postmaster from Atlantic City also responded to the scene. A fire investigator from the NJ Division of Fire Safety Fire Marshall’s Office assisted.
The Margate City Police Department remained on to control the scene and supervise evidence removal. Emergency responders remained on scene until 7 p.m.
A fence at a nearby property was damaged by the fire. The homeowners were not home at the time of the fire.
The vehicle was removed to the U.S. Postal Service facility in Belmar.
Adams said the fire and its cause remain under investigation. The ATF will inspect evidence and assist with the investigation, he said.
