Photo by James Wood, Sr.
LYNDHURST – Lyndhurst police officers responded to a call of smoke coming from a home located at 352 Copeland Ave. on Monday, March 3 at 11:47 a.m. Upon arrival, the responding police units reported that there was a house fire in progress, according to Det. Capt. John Valente, commander of the Lyndhurst investigation division.The Lyndhurst Fire Department 32- Engine 1 was on the scene post haste and seeing a heavy volume of light brown smoke emanating from corner windows and various openings of the building, they put out the main body of fire by noon and had it under control (no hazard to firemen inside) by 12:15 p.m, according to a fire department report.
Salvage and overhaul continued until 12:27 p.m.
The 2 1/2 story wood frame, three-family residence sustained extensive fire damage to the first floor with smoke and water damage to the basement apartment. The basement and first floor apartments were rented out, but neither tenant was at home at the time of the fire. The second floor apartment is presently vacant.
Capt. Paul Haggerty of the Lyndhurst Fire Department, who was incident commander of the fire, said that a neighbor, Gina Servideo, went through a basement window and rescued two dogs.
As the Engine 1 crew began stretching a 2-inch line to the front door, the first floor flashed over. A heavy volume of fire was pushing out of the front door as well as some of the windows.
"When we got there, heavy smoke was coming from the front building. As the crew was making their first entry, a flash over occurred there just before they entered. The first crew in (Lyndhurst fire fighters Steven Passamno, Michael Keane and James Jenkins) made a very aggressive knock down while working their way through the first floor," he said, "Luckily, there was no one injured."
When Lyndhurst Fire Engine 3 arrived, a two-inch line was advanced to the front door from Engine 1 to put out the fire spreading through the walls and into the bottom of the staircase leading to the second apartment.
Mutual aid from the North Arlington Rescue 5 and the Rutherford Engine 2 came to the scene shortly after noon, as well as the Nutley Fire Department, who arrived at the Lyndhurst firehouse to stand-by and cover the township.
The tenants were displaced and have made their own living arrangements, according to police reports.
Lyndhurst Police Det. Lt. Peter Shellhamer and Det. John Kerner also responded to the fire, where an investigation was conducted on cause and origin.
The Bergen County Prosecutors Office Arson Squad and the Bergen County Sheriff’s Department BCI unit were at the Copeland Avenue by 1:15 p.m.
By 1:48 p.m. Haggerty released the scene to Lyndhurst police, he said.
As of Tuesday afternoon, the fire appears to have started in the living room couch on the first floor but the cause is still undetermined, police reports said.
The incident is still under investigation.
The Lyndhurst building department deemed the house uninhabitable, so they secured and "orange tagged" it.
See the Web site http://www.lyndhurstengine1.com/ for more information on Lyndhurst Fire Department 32- Engine 1.
