Work on water pipes likely cause of Kossman St. fire EAST BRUNSWICK - A fire gutted a home on Kossman Street in the township's historic district last week. The fire began around noon June 6 in the kitchen area, where a resident had been doing some work on water pipes, according to John Talbot, fire marshal for East Brunswick Fire District 1. The owner was using a torch to work on the pipes, finished the work and left the home briefly. When he returned, he found firefighters trying to extinguish the blaze. Talbot said it is possible that something was ignited as a result of the torch work, and that embers may have gone up the wall and out of the owner's sight. They likely continued to smolder and spread. The fire went up the chase, reaching the second-floor bathroom, then continued up to the attic, he said. The fire gutted the second floor and attic. "I wouldn't say the house is destroyed, but the fire spread throughout it," Talbot said. "The structure is still there, but the house is gutted." The house is an older one, he said, but he was not sure of its age. The second floor and attic took the brunt of the damage, but the kitchen was also affected and the first floor has water damage. Police said the original call came from a neighbor who saw the fire. Police responded, as did units from the Old Bridge, Brookview and Independent fire companies. Police said it took about an hour and 15 minutes to fully extinguish the fire. No injuries were reported.