All of the residents were out as firefighters arrived at 1288 Longfellow Avenue within a minute of the 2:46 p.m. call Wednesday, records show.
A second alarm quickly brought mutual aid companies from Englewood, Hackensack, Bogota and Ridgefield Park.
Investigators initially said they suspect that an electrical short ignited the blaze. The homeowner ran outside and tried to turn a garden hose on the flames but was driven out, they said.
That left the Engine 1 crew at a bit of a disadvantage. But they went after it, had the fire under control in less than a half hour and contained the heavy fire damage to the first floor, an emergency services source with direct knowledge of the blaze told CLIFFVIEW PILOT.
Officials later reported heavy smoke damage throughout the building.
The Red Cross helped relocate the residents, the source told CLIFFVIEW PILOT.
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