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Photos and report from Ron Jeffers
Scores of people were planning a Valentine’s Day dinner, including volunteer firefighters in the East Bergen county area of the densely populated municipality of Fort Lee, New Jersey. Others were simply getting home from work. Instead, residents were welcomed by flames and thick smoke covering the area near the approach to the George Washington Bridge on February 14, 2019.
Around 4 p.m., local firefighters were toned out to a reported fire at 3011 Edwin Avenue. A fire dispatcher notified units that he could see smoke showing from the “A” side of a five-story ordinary, occupied multiple dwelling on one of the municipality’s surveillance cameras.
Firefighters arrived to heavy smoke in the street of this building, which contains 45 units. The fire was reported in the basement and a handline was stretched to that area. Firefighters reported an unusual small and narrow basement that led into a crawl space area. As they began to knock down flames, the floor of the ground floor apartment collapsed in front of them.
Smoke was rising to all five floors. Many residents heard the smoke alarms, discovered smoke in the hallways, and self-evacuated. Firefighters were also seen on fire escapes conducting searches and assisting residents.
Flames quickly raced up voids in the structure to the roof and eventually vented out windows on all floors and through the roof. Mutual aid was summoned from surrounding fire departments along with EMS units.
Firefighters encountered water pressure problems during the incident, and long lines of LDH were stretched to area fire hydrants.
As flames took control of the structure, an evacuation order and a PAR were conducted. Master streams and exterior handlines were pressed into use. The master streams included tower ladders from Fort Lee and Englewood; ladder pipes from Fort Lee, Leonia, and Ridgefield; and a squirt from Cliffside Park.
Flames lit up the evening sky, visible for miles. Eventually, parts of the roof and floors of the various floors collapsed in pancake style. The structure, part of the Linwood Park apartment complex, consists of two similar structures separated by a fire wall. The northern side was saved with the help of this fire wall.
The fire left residents scrambling with little or no possessions and their pets. Local officials transported fire victims to a nearby senior center where help was available, including assistance from the Red Cross. People were seen taking food and clothing to the center for the residents.
After a period of severe cold weather, this holiday evening saw temperatures in the 40s and little if any winds. A blessing for firefighters.
Several firefighters were reported injured, but they were not life-threatening. It was reported that there were no injuries to residents.
The fire was placed under control a 8:58 p.m. with fire companies operating throughout the night to extinguish pockets of fire.
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