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Dozens remain displaced following Edison senior center fire that left couple critically injured

About 50 people are staying at the Sheraton Hotel in Edison for shelter.

Matt Trapani and Tom Krosnowski

Dec 4, 2024, 10:36 PM

Updated 2 hr ago

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Dozens of senior citizens still don’t know when they will be able to return to their homes following a large fire that left a husband and wife in critical condition Tuesday night.
The fire at the Inman Grove Senior Center displaced more than 200 residents. About 50 are currently staying at the Sheraton Hotel in town.
Mayor Sam Joshi said that it could take at least three weeks before residents can safely return to the building. Crews dressed in full personal protective equipment were seen cleaning out debris and boarding up units.
Officials say that 10 people were taken to the hospital immediately after the fire. A husband and wife were left in critical condition. The husband is 101 years old and his wife is 99. The mayor said the fire began in their room, but it is not considered suspicious.
Inman Grove Senior Center contains four wings. All were evacuated Tuesday night. Officials say that residents were able to return to three of these wings, but one remains uninhabitable.
The rush of unexpected customers filled up the vacancies at the Sheraton. But staff members tell News 12 that the business impact is secondary to helping those in need. Those displaced have gotten meals and a warm place to stay.
“We have to take care of the situation first instead of thinking of business. We are trying to give the community first. They were a little bit afraid of things, and we gave them assurance that everything will be fine,” says Firoz Buhariwala, of the Sheraton Edison.
The cause of the fire was not immediately known.