Firefighters throughout Bergen battle heat, flames, false alarms

FIERY DAY: On a day when they needed it least, firefighters and other emergency workers throughout Bergen responded to several fires and false alarms this afternoon.

Jerry DeMarco

07/05/2013 10:41 p.m.

An attic fire on Oakdene Avenue in Cliffside Park destroyed a 2½-story house while sending at least one person to the hospital with apparent smoke inhalation.

Reports of a propane explosion were unconfirmed.

Cliffside Park fire (COURTESY: P. Peluso)

Meanwhile, a garden apartment fire that began near an oven on East Ridgewood Avenue in Ridgewood went to three alarms.

Residents of one building in the complex were safely evacuated as firefighters doused flames in sweltering heat of 90 degrees-plus — not to mention the high humidity (photos above, below).

Traffic was diverted off of East Ridgewood Avenue between Southern Parkway and Maple Avenue while emergency crews worked at the scene.

Also:

a transformer fire sparked in Englewood;

a smoking overhead utility wire on Kingsberry Avenue in Westwood brought police and firefighters, who summoned PSE&G;

Emerson emergency workers chased several false alarms.

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