Tag:

Firefighting

Man Found Dead In Paterson Basement Fire Man Found Dead In Paterson Basement Fire
Man Found Dead In Paterson Basement Fire 𝗨𝗣𝗗𝗔𝗧𝗘: Authorities were trying to identify a man found dead in a basement fire in Paterson -- and determine whether or not he was killed in the blaze. Firefighters called to 465 Hamilton Avenue shortly before midnight Sunday, April 14, found the body while dousing the flames in the basement of the 2½ wood-frame home, authorities confirmed mid-Monday morning. The New Jersey Medical Examiner's Office is assisting in the identification of the victim, according to a joint statement issued by Passaic County Prosecutor Camelia M. Valdes and including Paterson Police Officer In Charge Isa Ab…
Police Car Struck, Vehicle Thieves Captured After Crash In Garfield: Authorities Police Car Struck, Vehicle Thieves Captured After Crash In Garfield: Authorities
Police Car Struck, Vehicle Thieves Captured After Crash In Garfield: Authorities A driver wanted for hitting a police cruiser with a stolen BMW was nabbed by Garfield police after he crashed into a pole, igniting a fire, and took off on foot, authorities said. Garfield police spotted the orange 2020 BMW M4 shortly before noon Wednesday, March 27, after colleagues from Newark who were tracking the vehicle via GPS pointed them to Prospect Street after one of their vehicles was hit, Capt. Mario Pozo said. Garfield Police Officer Noah Murphy tried stopping the sedan moments later, the captain said, but the driver threw it in reverse, hit the gas and accidentally slammed int…
Maywood House Fire Doused Maywood House Fire Doused
Maywood House Fire Doused Firefighters participating in a mutual aid drill in Paramus on Sunday rushed to Maywood to douse a genuine blaze. The fire had ignited in a 1½-story Cape Cod-style wood-frame home at 30 Grove Avenue -- around the corner from Maywood's fire HQ -- around 11:30 a.m. March 24.The first firefighters at the scene were met by heavy heat, smoke and flames on both floors. They had the fire under control within 90 minutes.  No injuries were reported. Mutual aid responders at the scene or in coverage included firefighters from Hackensack, Paramus, Rochelle Park, Lodi, Fair Lawn, Garfield, Saddl…
Garfield Garage Blaze Doused Garfield Garage Blaze Doused
Garfield Garage Blaze Doused Garfield firefighters doused a Sunday morning garage blaze. It was going pretty good when they got to the March 10 fire, but they contained it to the one-story two-car garage behind a Market Street home. No injuries were reported. Mutual aid at the scene and in coverage was provided by fellow firefighters from Saddle Brook, Clifton, Elmwood Park, Lodi, Maywood, Passaic and Rochelle Park. Damien Danis for DAILY VOICE Damien Danis for DAILY VOICE
Electric Car Fire At New Hackensack Apartment Complex Takes 7 Hours To Douse Electric Car Fire At New Hackensack Apartment Complex Takes 7 Hours To Douse
Electric Car Fire At New Hackensack Apartment Complex Takes 7 Hours To Douse A Hackensack firefighter was injured in an electric car blaze that took nearly seven hours to fully douse in the parking garage of a new apartment complex, authorities said. The firefighter was released after being treated at Hackensack University Medical Center for an undisclosed injury sustained at The Walcott, which opened a year ago on Main Street. The fire broke out around 1:30 a.m. Friday, March 8, in the lower-level parking garage of the six-story building. Firefighters quickly located an Audi Q5 SUV and immediately knocked down the flames. "Additional precautions and measures were…
Body Found, Another Possible Following Fierce Multi-Family Home Fire In Ridgefield Body Found, Another Possible Following Fierce Multi-Family Home Fire In Ridgefield
Body Found, Another Possible Following Fierce Multi-Family Home Fire In Ridgefield 𝗨𝗣𝗗𝗔𝗧𝗘: A former bed and breakfast in Ridgefield had been leveled by fire when responders found the remains of a man wrapped around a support beam. “He must’ve been alive and trying to hold on when the floor above him collapsed,” said a firefighter who was at the predawn blaze at the former Toddle Inn on Broad Avenue on Wednesday, March 6. Bergen County Prosecutor Mark Musella identified the victim on Friday as 42-year-old Xavier Contreras. An Ecuadoran national, the homeless Contreras sometimes joined the groups of day laborers waiting for passing contractors in nearby Palisades Park, jus…
Frozen Hydrants Challenge Firefighters In Wanaque Basement Blaze Ignited By Lithium Battery Frozen Hydrants Challenge Firefighters In Wanaque Basement Blaze Ignited By Lithium Battery
Frozen Hydrants Challenge Firefighters In Wanaque Basement Blaze Ignited By Lithium Battery A Wanaque homeowner required EMS attention for smoke inhalation after a lithium battery ignited a fierce basement fire, authorities said. The basement on Ramapo Mountain Drive was fully involved when firefighters arrived shortly before 2:30 p.m. Wednesday, Feb. 14, they said. Frozen hydrants left the first two engines just about tapped, with the blaze extending to the first floor, when mutual aid came through, responders said. That included firefighters from Pompton Lakes, Ringwood and Bloomingdale. A Passaic County hazardous materials unit also was requested.
Plainfield Firefighter, 32, Dies In Line Of Duty (UPDATE) Plainfield Firefighter, 32, Dies In Line Of Duty (UPDATE)
Plainfield Firefighter, 32, Dies In Line Of Duty (Update) Marques Hudson, a 32-year-old firefighter in Plainfield, was killed while battling a fire at 332 Emerson Ave. on Friday, Jan. 26, the city announced. Hudson was rushed to Robert Wood Johnson Medical Center where he was pronounced dead, Mayor Adrian Mapp said at a press conference outside City Hall. Three other firefighters suffered non-life-threatening injuries and were transported to Robert Wood Johnson Medical Center, city officials said.  How Hudson died is still under investigation, Mapp said, saying he either fell through the floor or fell down the stairs of the home. There w…
Smoky Post-Christmas House Fire Ravages Passaic Home Smoky Post-Christmas House Fire Ravages Passaic Home
Smoky Post-Christmas House Fire Ravages Passaic Home A smoky house fire in Passaic went to four alarms the day after Christmas. No injuries were immediately reported in the blaze, which ignited in a Van Buren Street home near Central Avenue around 11 a.m., Passaic Mayor Hector Carlos Lora said. "All tenants are reported to be out and safe," the mayor said around noon. "Nobody appears to be in the building." Firefighters were quickly removed after a partial ceiling collapse, Lora said. They had two ladder trucks and multiple hand lines in operation. Damien Danis for DAILY VOICE Although smoke met them at the scene, the fire may have b…
Arson Investigator, Expert Fire Photographer Richard Wolfson Leaves Lasting Impact In NJ Arson Investigator, Expert Fire Photographer Richard Wolfson Leaves Lasting Impact In NJ
Arson Investigator, Expert Fire Photographer Richard Wolfson Leaves Lasting Impact In NJ Whether he was capturing it through his lens, fighting it or investigating it, Richard Wolfson was likely at the fire. Wolfson volunteered 40 of the 50 years he lived in Garfield as one of his city's bravest. He was also a regional arson investigator, often serving as an expert witness in criminal cases.  And he single-handedly founded the NJ Metro Fire Photographers Association in 1985, serving as its first-ever president. Rich Wolfson's impact was felt throughout North Jersey's firefighting, fire photography and fire investigating communities, which is why his death last week leaves suc…
North Jersey Native Critically Injured Fighting Baltimore Fire Sees Community Support North Jersey Native Critically Injured Fighting Baltimore Fire Sees Community Support
North Jersey Native Critically Injured Fighting Baltimore Fire Sees Community Support People are coming together to support Dillion Rinaldo, a lieutenant in the Baltimore City Fire Department and a Fair Lawn native, who was seriously injured battling a three-alarm blaze last week. A fundraiser has been launched for Rinaldo and his fiancée, Lauren. As of Tuesday, Oct. 24, more than $73,000 has been raised. Rinaldo remains in a burn center while he recovers from the fire that killed one firefighter.  "Dillon is the most selfless individual anyone knows." Scott Greco, who organized the fundraiser, said. "He is always willing to help with anything, putting others before him…
Longtime Haledon DPW Worker, West Milford Volunteer Firefighter Roy Sconfienza Dies, 63 Longtime Haledon DPW Worker, West Milford Volunteer Firefighter Roy Sconfienza Dies, 63
Longtime Haledon DPW Worker, West Milford Volunteer Firefighter Roy Sconfienza Dies, 63 Roy Sconfienza, a longtime volunteer firefighter for West Milford, and Haledon DPW worker died on Monday, July 10, according to his obituary. He was 63 years old. Sconfienza was a volunteer firefighter for Fire Company 6 for 30 years, and spent almost 40 years with the Borough of Haledon DPW. The West Milford Fire Company #6 regrets to announce the passing of Firefighter #118 Roy Sconfienza. Roy has served his... Posted by West Milford Fire Dept. Station 6 on Tuesday, July 11, 2023 The women and men of the Haledon Police Department are sincerely saddened about the unexpected loss o…
Firefighters Hospitalized, Blaze Destroys Passaic Home As Temps Break 90 Degrees Firefighters Hospitalized, Blaze Destroys Passaic Home As Temps Break 90 Degrees
Firefighters Hospitalized, Blaze Destroys Passaic Home As Temps Break 90 Degrees Four firefighters were hospitalized after battling an intense five-alarm blaze that destroyed a multi-family home amid blistering temperatures Wednesday afternoon in Passaic. The quartet was believed to be getting treatment for heat exhaustion, Passaic Mayor Hector Carlos Lora said from the scene of the fire on Union Avenue between Park Avenue and Spring Street. One was brought out and rushed to the hospital by ambulance following a mayday call. The extent of injuries couldn't be immediately determined. 67 Union Avenue, PassaicJeff Gumbman / INSET: Passaic Mayor Hector Carlos Lora Onl…
Community Rallies Around Families Of Newark Firefighters Killed Community Rallies Around Families Of Newark Firefighters Killed
Community Rallies Around Families Of Newark Firefighters Killed Newark firefighters Augusto "Augie" Acabou and Wayne "Bear" Brooks made the ultimate sacrifice when they were killed battling a massive ship fire at Port Newark on Wednesday, July 5. Now, the community wants to give back. A fundraiser was created by the Newark Firefighters Union to assist the families of the two men killed. As of Monday, July 10, more than $104,000 has been raised.  "Augie and Bear served the city with bravery, courage, and honor," the union wrote on the fundraising page. "As a community, we can rally around their families, offer our support, and alleviate some of the …
Two Firefighters Die Battling Huge Port Newark Ship Blaze Two Firefighters Die Battling Huge Port Newark Ship Blaze
Two Firefighters Die Battling Huge Port Newark Ship Blaze Two Newark firefighters died battling a blaze that tore through a car-carrying ship at Port Newark–Elizabeth Marine Terminal late Wednesday, officials confirmed. UPDATE: 'Hearts Are Broken': IDs Of Newark Firefighters Killed In Line Of Duty Released The firefighters had “made an attempt to extinguish the fire and, because of the intense heat, they got pushed back out of the area where the initial fire was,” Newark Fire Department Chief Rufus Jackson at a morning news conference on July 6. The Grande Costa D'Avorio apparently was headed to Brooklyn after leaving Baltimore on Sunday with mo…
HEROES: Saddle River Police Sergeant, Officer Douse Growing House Fire HEROES: Saddle River Police Sergeant, Officer Douse Growing House Fire
Heroes: Saddle River Police Sergeant, Officer Douse Growing House Fire Smoke rolled out the front door as Saddle River Police Sgt. Diana Golonek and Officer Grant Novak arrived at a house fire just before midnight Thursday. The living-room blaze was beginning to cook, leaving the pair little time. Golonek emptied two fire extinguishers on the flames while Novak opened a garden hose he'd pulled through an open French door of the 5,000-square-foot house on tiny dead-ended Dogwood Drive late on June 28. Together, they beat back the flames and had the blaze knocked down by the time borough firefighters arrived. The residents got out OK and no injuries were repor…
HIGH DRAMA: Photog Captures NJSP Rescue Of Clifton Firefighters From Passaic River HIGH DRAMA: Photog Captures NJSP Rescue Of Clifton Firefighters From Passaic River
High Drama: Photog Captures Njsp Rescue Of Clifton Firefighters From Passaic River Freelance photographer Boyd A. Loving captured the drama Wednesday afternoon as two Clifton firefighters were plucked from the Passaic River by a New Jersey State Police chopper after they'd gone in to rescue a construction crew. The three-member crew was clearing trees and brush from the river when their boat got snagged at the top of the Dundee Dam, which has a 20-foot drop to a lower section of the river below. Firefighters from Clifton, Garfield and Elmwood Park put boats into the river to rescue the trio. At some point, the Clifton boat began to tip over the side of the falls. A fire…
NJ Firefighter Brian Letrent Dies Suddenly, 34 NJ Firefighter Brian Letrent Dies Suddenly, 34
NJ Firefighter Brian Letrent Dies Suddenly, 34 The Bayville Fire Department is mourning the loss of one of their own. Brian Letrent died suddenly of a medical condition on Wednesday, June 21, according to his obituary. He was 34 years old. A Toms River native, Brian was raised in Bayville and was a 2007 graduate of Central Regional High School. He enlisted in the US Army right after graduation and was deployed to Iraq for six months. From Mayor Carmen Amato. Our heartfelt condolences are with Brian Letrent and his family during this difficult time.... Posted by Berkeley Township on Thursday, June 22, 2023 Brian worked as a mechan…
Rutherford Attic Fire Doused Rutherford Attic Fire Doused
Rutherford Attic Fire Doused Firefighters quickly doused a house blaze Wednesday afternoon in Rutherford. The fire apparently broke out in the attic of a 2½-story, wood-frame home on Belford Avenue near Jackson Avenue around 1:30 p.m. Firefighters knocked the two-alarmer down in minutes and had it under control in well under a half hour. No injuries were reported. Damien Danis for DAILY VOICE Mutual aid responders at the scene or in coverage included firefighters from East Rutherford, Lyndhurst, North Arlington and Wallington. A preliminary cause wasn't immediately determined. Mutual aid responders at the sce…
Waldwick Firefighters Douse Train Trash Fire Waldwick Firefighters Douse Train Trash Fire
Waldwick Firefighters Douse Train Trash Fire Waldwick firefighters doused a train fire in a hopper car filled with trash. The firefighters kept the flames from spreading with a tower ladder, along with a hand line, after the call came in from near the train station shortly before 10 p.m. Tuesday, April 25. They had the fire doused in under a half hour. A Bergen County Hazardous Materials unit took water and air readings. No injuries were reported. A Bergen County Hazardous Materials unit took water and air readings.WALDWICK FD
IN CONTROL: North Jersey Wildfire 100% Contained, Threat Is Gone, Officials Say IN CONTROL: North Jersey Wildfire 100% Contained, Threat Is Gone, Officials Say
IN Control: North Jersey Wildfire 100% Contained, Threat Is Gone, Officials Say UPDATE: The wildfire that marched through West Milford the past three days is 100% contained, the New Jersey Forest Fire Service reported on Saturday. The blaze, which was beaten back at first but then grew steadily over the previous 48 hours, finally topped out at 972 acres on April 15 – and that was it, the service said. Fire officials also said this would be the last of the updates from the “Kanouse Wildfire," the largest blaze in North Jersey since 2010. Ten structures in all were threatened – half of which were evacuated – yet none were seriously damaged thanks to the support of fire…
GREAT NEWS: North Jersey Wildfire 100% Contained, Authorities Report GREAT NEWS: North Jersey Wildfire 100% Contained, Authorities Report
Great NEWS: North Jersey Wildfire 100% Contained, Authorities Report UPDATE: The worst is over: The wildfire that marched through West Milford the past three days is 100% contained, the New Jersey Forest Fire Service reported on Saturday. The blaze, which was beaten back at first but then grew steadily over the previous 48 hours, finally topped out at 972 acres on April 15 – and that was it, the service said. Fire officials also said this would be the last of the updates from the “Kanouse Wildfire," the largest blaze in North Jersey since 2010. Ten structures in all were threatened – half of which were evacuated – yet none were seriously damaged thanks to …
Firefighters Douse Overnight Freight Train Blaze In Maywood Firefighters Douse Overnight Freight Train Blaze In Maywood
Firefighters Douse Overnight Freight Train Blaze In Maywood A rolling dumpster fire of sorts was doused overnight in Maywood after a blaze ignited in a railroad car carrying construction debris and trash. Maywood Avenue was closed from Central to East Hunter Avenue after the train came to a stop, blocking the crossing, just after midnight Friday, March 17. Concern was initially expressed over a car purportedly carrying hazardous materials five or so car-lengths away, but firefighters contained the blaze. The train apparently passed through Elmwood Park and Saddle Brook with the flaming car before eventually stopping. It proceeded to the rail yard …
'Very Close Call': House Collapses, 22 NYC Firefighters Injured In Staten Island Blaze 'Very Close Call': House Collapses, 22 NYC Firefighters Injured In Staten Island Blaze
'Very Close Call': House Collapses, 22 NYC Firefighters Injured In Staten Island Blaze UPDATE: A total of 22 New York City firefighters were injured – three of them seriously – while battling a blaze that collapsed part of a Staten Island home, the FDNY said Friday. The good news is that all are expected to survive. Fire Commissioner Laura Kavanagh called the incident a "very close call for the FDNY, which could have lost three members today."   A major collapse was reported minutes into the fire, which ignited in a 2½-story side-by-side duplex on Shotwell Avenue in the Arden Heights section shortly before 1:30 p.m. Feb. 17. The fire quickly went to four alarms, with multi…
Homeless Man Assaults Newark Fire Captain With Food Can Homeless Man Assaults Newark Fire Captain With Food Can
Homeless Man Assaults Newark Fire Captain With Food Can A Newark fire captain putting out a fire at a homeless encampment was hospitalized after a homeless man struck him with a can of food, city officials said. The firefighters had just finished putting out the blaze under Route 21 at Riverside Avenue when the man struck the captain with the can around 11 a.m. Sunday, Nov. 27, a statement reads. The captain was hospitalized with non-life-threatening injuries and the homeless man was arrested, and taken to the hospital for crisis evaluation.
'We Lost A Hero': Aneurysm Takes Beloved Bergen Educator, Firefighter, Church Music Leader, 49 'We Lost A Hero': Aneurysm Takes Beloved Bergen Educator, Firefighter, Church Music Leader, 49
'We Lost A Hero': Aneurysm Takes Beloved Bergen Educator, Firefighter, Church Music Leader, 49 Death came suddenly and without warning for beloved educator, firefighter and church music director Basil Pizzuto of Saddle Brook, leaving legions who knew him shocked, saddened and more than a bit shaken. Pizzuto, an assistant principal at Ridgewood High School, was at work when an aortic aneurysm struck on Wednesday, Nov. 23, a day before he and loved ones had expected to celebrate both Thanksgiving and his 50th birthday. It was a gut punch that spread through multiple communities of those who knew and loved Pizzuto -- from the village's public schools to the Saddle Brook Fire Department…
UPDATE: No Hydrants Hampers Fight Against Upper Saddle River Mansion Fire At Rockland Border UPDATE: No Hydrants Hampers Fight Against Upper Saddle River Mansion Fire At Rockland Border
Update: No Hydrants Hampers Fight Against Upper Saddle River Mansion Fire At Rockland Border Nearly three dozen mutual aid companies and well over 100 firefighters helped counter a lack of area hydrants as a fast-moving blaze consumed an Upper Saddle River mansion at the Rockland County border over the weekend. No one was injured in the multi-alarm Hillside Avenue blaze, which broke out in the $2.7 million home in the north end of town shortly after 4:30 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 16, and instantly became fully involved, fire officials said. Authorities were investigating the cause. The Upper Saddle River mansion on Hillside Avenue was destroyed.UPPER SADDLE RIVER FIRE DEPT Firefighter…
UPDATE: Firefighter Charged In Horrific 9W Crash Later Returned To Scene As Responder UPDATE: Firefighter Charged In Horrific 9W Crash Later Returned To Scene As Responder
Update: Firefighter Charged In Horrific 9W Crash Later Returned To Scene As Responder UPDATE: A volunteer firefighter charged in a horrific road-rage crash that nearly killed a fellow group of fellow Bergen County teens earlier this week left the scene and then returned as a responder, authorities said. Luke Stein, 18, who was taken into custody in Colorado on Friday, Oct. 14, became a volunteer firefighter in Alpine and Demarest earlier this year, records show.  He was driving a Jeep Grand Cherokee with blue and white emergency lights on the dashboard when he pursued and then deliberately rear-ended the victims' Honda Pilot on Route 9W just after midnight on Monday, Oct. 1…
Firefighter Who Teaches High-Angle Rescue Helps Save Severely Injured Worker In Fair Lawn Tree Firefighter Who Teaches High-Angle Rescue Helps Save Severely Injured Worker In Fair Lawn Tree
Firefighter Who Teaches High-Angle Rescue Helps Save Severely Injured Worker In Fair Lawn Tree A firefighter with just the right experience helped rescue a tree trimmer who was left perilously perched in the air in Fair Lawn after a cut limb from an oak broke his leg, responders said. Firefighters couldn't get to the 42-year-old arborist from Hackensack with an aerial ladder after the mishap left him stranded on an unsteady limb 20 to 30 feet above the backyard of an Ellington Road home shortly before 8:30 a.m. Thursday, Oct. 6. They had to use ground ladders and ropes instead. "Coincidentally, while on his way to teach rope rescue for hostage negotiation, off-duty FF Steven Alvarez…
VIDEO: Fire Crews Kick Down Door To Reach Smoky Blaze Ravaging Morris County Basement VIDEO: Fire Crews Kick Down Door To Reach Smoky Blaze Ravaging Morris County Basement
Video: Fire Crews Kick Down Door To Reach Smoky Blaze Ravaging Morris County Basement The action-packed moment when several Morris County firefighters kicked down a doorway — hoses in hand — to reach and begin extinguishing a smoky basement blaze was captured in a video clip from the department's "helmet cam." The Boonton Fire Department responded to the report of smoke coming from a Mountain Lakes home around 9:30 a.m. on Thursday, Sept. 29, the squad said. Upon arrival, crews confirmed a fire in the basement and with heavy smoke billowing from the garage and the ‘D’ side of the home, the department said. Crews immediately went to work, kicking down the basement door to ga…
House Fire Doused In Teaneck House Fire Doused In Teaneck
House Fire Doused In Teaneck Firefighters doused a house blaze in Teaneck. They were met by heavy flames on the first floor and in the walls of the 2½-story wood-frame home on Downing Street just off Victoria Road shortly before 8:30 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 4. The main body of the fire was knocked down within 15 minutes. It was declared under control a short time later. Mutual aid responders at the scene or in coverage included firefighters from Bogota, Englewood, Hackensack and Rigefield Park. No injuries were reported. Fire officials were trying to officially determine the cause.