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First responders were dispatched to 705 Kinderkamack Road in Oradell at approximately 8:40 a.m. for a report of a burning building, Fire Chief Terrance Moran said.
Crews from Oradell, River Edge, and Paramus arrived to find flames on the roof of an abandoned carriage house adjacent to the Atwood-Blauvelt Mansion. The Emerson Fire Department responded as standby assistance, Moran said.
The fire was confined to the roof of the two-and-a-half-story wood-frame building, which appeared to be covered with dried pine needles, according to Moran. The flames did not spread to the interior, but the structure sustained water damage during firefighting efforts, the chief said.
Public Service Electric & Gas responded to shut off electric and natural gas service to the building, authorities said.
The Bergen County Arson Squad is investigating and has listed the cause as “undetermined,” Moran said, adding the fire appears unsuspicious as of press time. Mayor James Koth, who responded to the scene as a firefighter, thanked neighboring departments for their assistance.
The carriage house and the adjacent Blauvelt Mansion are owned by Care One, a senior health care provider based in Oradell.
The Atwood-Blauvelt Mansion was built between 1896 and 1897 for insurance pioneer Kimball Chase Atwood and is considered one of Bergen County’s finest examples of Shingle Style architecture, according to Preservation NJ. The property has long been considered endangered and there has been a major push to preserve the structure.
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