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Police responding to the initial call around 3:15 a.m. found smoke pouring out the front entrance to the two-family house at 458 Lawn Avenue and a man hanging out a back bedroom window screaming for help, Palisades Park Police Chief Benjamin Ramos told CLIFFVIEW PILOT this morning.
Five other people were inside the bedroom, the man told the officers.
Firefighters from Palisades Park, Leonia and Ridgefield Park quickly arrived and got all of the residents down safely. They had to be relocated by the Red Cross after being treated for smoke inhalation at Englewood Hospital and Medical Center, the chief said.
“Thank God nobody was seriously injured,” Ramos said.
Two basement residents who escaped before the fire spread told authorities they’ll stay with relatives, the chief said.
Both likely will be interviewed.
“It looks like fire was started by a heat gun that apparently was left on or had shorted out,” the chief told CLIFFVIEW PILOT. “Several containers of olive oil were also found.
“They may have been trying to manufacture soap.”
Authorities are investigating, said Ramos, adding that the house — between West Edsall Boulevard and Burr Place — was declared unihabitable and will likely have to be torn down.
This comes after A 22-unit Palisades Park apartment building was evacuated Sunday night when rainwater that leaked in contributed to a small electrical fire.
Tenants as 264 Hillside Avenue were relocated until the power could be restored there.
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