LINCROFT FIRE INJURES HOMEOWNER, 81


An 81-year-old Lincroft man was burned in a fire started when he was doing plumbing work with a torch, police said Wednesday.

The fire, at 6 Rimwood Drive, reported at about 10:45, started when homeowner Lawrence Fagel was sweating pipes in a bathroom, according to Middletown police spokesman Lieutenant Detective Steve Dollinger.

The fire caused significant damage to the home, Dollinger said.

Fagel suffered minor burns to his head as well as smoke inhalation. He was flown by medevac helicopter, which landed at nearby Brookdale Community College, to the Burn Center at St. Barnabas in Livingston for treatment, Dollinger said.