(North Bergen-WABC, October 24, 2004) -- It was 4:00 a.m. when fire broke out at a single family home in New Jersey. Upstairs, a mother, a father and their daughter were all trapped. Downstairs one very brave firefighter put himself in harm's way to save their lives. Now he's fighting for his own life. Eyewitness News reporter Ken Rosato has the story.
A smoldering mess, the aftermath of a fire at 1440 Fourth Street in North Bergen, New Jersey.
Early this morning, a couple and their adult daughter were awakened by the smell of smoke.
Luckily the family had prepared for such an emergency.
Vivian Smith, Victims' Daughter: "You know when we were kids, we used to have to practice fire drills out the windows. We used to have fire routes and everything. He used to make us climb out a rope out the window."
North Hudson Regional Fire Rescue quickly responded to find the house on fire, but rescuers say debris the homeowner was accumulating, both inside and outside the home, in some cases stacked from floor to ceiling, made a regular rescue impossible.
Smith: "As he got older, and no kids, he just started collecting more and more and more junk."
One fire captain was hurt while rescuing the family from a second story window.
Deputy Chief Frank Montagne, North Hudson Regional Fire Rescue: "He had some smoke inhalation, he is right now at the hospital in critical but stable condition with interiror burns to his lungs."
The three rescued were taken to the hospital with smoke inhalation. Though expected to survive, the father was in pretty bad shape.
Smith: "My father's in Jersey City Medical Center. He's not breathing on his own. He's intubated."
One source tells Eyewitness News the investigation is centering on an electrical cord in the main hallway of the home.
