Woman rescued from home blaze BY JAMIE ROMM Staff Writer MIDDLETOWN - Township police and firefighters responded to a call of a fire at a house on Monmouth Avenue to find that a 54-year-old disabled woman was still in the home. On Feb. 5 at approximately 4:30 p.m., a house fire was reported at 668 Monmouth Ave. in the Port Monmouth section of the township. Firefighters Michael Chenoweth and Robert Betz entered the home and located the woman in a back room of the house. After forcing a window open, they were able to pass the woman through to firefighter Edward "Buddy" Skelly and Police Officer Stephen Keller, who removed her to safety and administered oxygen. According to Middletown Township Fire Department Public Information OfficerAndy Spears, the firefighters heard the woman screaming from her bedroom. "They came in and went around the fire to rescue her," Spears said. "The rescue was performed fairly quickly." The woman was taken to Riverview Medical Center, where she was treated for smoke inhalation and released. The three firefighters were also taken to Riverview and treated for smoke inhalation, heat exhaustion and a hand injury. According to Spears, they were all released that night. Keller was treated by the Port Monmouth First Aid Squad at the scene for a cut he sustained to his left hand from broken glass while rescuing the woman, Spears said. According to Spears, about 40 firefighters were on the scene and worked for an hour in order to secure the building. Port Monmouth Fire Company. East Keansburg Fire Company, Belford Engine Company, Belford Independent Fire Company, Middletown Township Fire Police, PortMonmouth FirstAid andMiddletown First Aid responded to the scene. Spears said that after hearing the alarm, the fire companies followed the trail of smoke to the home where they quickly extinguished the fire. According to a press release from the Middletown Township Police Department, a space heater was the apparent cause of the fire. "Thanks to a very attentive neighbor, we were able to save the woman from her home," Spears said. "We all did our jobs and everything was done quickly, and the woman is now OK."