Fairlawn, NJ

FAIR LAWN, NJ, FEB. 24, 2011 – A two-family home was destroyed in a two-alarm blaze, leaving four people homeless, including one person in a wheelchair. Units were dispatched shortly before 7 A.M. First-arriving police units confirmed that heavy smoke and fire was visible. All residents safely evacuated the building before the arrival of fire units, but flames had full possession of the second floor and attic. A second alarm was transmitted as exposure lines were put in operation. An interior attack was attempted, but heavy fire and the possibility of collapse made that untenable. Several exterior lines were put into operation as well as an elevated master stream in the rear. After about a one-hour battle, the flames were darkened down and held to the original fire building. The heat had melted the siding on both exposure buildings, but no other damage was reported. The cause is under investigation.