Trending Topics

Flashover, mayday, bailout: 10 N.J. firefighters injured in house fire

A brief water loss triggered a flashover and mayday during a house fire in Hillsdale

By Jeff Goldman
nj.com

HILLSDALE, N.J. — Ten Hillsdale firefighters suffered minor injuries while battling a house fire in the Bergen County borough early Tuesday morning, the chief said.

The fire on Ellen Court broke out around 3:45 a.m. on the rear deck of a home and spread into the attic, Chief Bill Farrell said in a statement.

| READ NEXT: Chiefs, is your department prepared for a mayday incident?

While working to extinguish the fire, firefighters briefly lost their water supply. That led to a “flashover,” which occurs when all combustible materials in an area quickly ignite.

A mayday was called and all firefighters inside were then forced to exit the house, Farrell said.

While emergency workers treated the injured firefighters, other firefighters knocked down the blaze. All residents were evacuated safely when firefighters arrived, the Bergen County Prosecutor’s Office said.

The fire is not considered suspicious, the prosecutor’s office said.

Trending
FDNY Commissioner Robert Tucker says concerns over antisemitic rhetoric and protest responses led him to resign
Three Marion County firefighters and one paramedic face felony charges after allegedly stripping, beating and waterboarding a 19-year-old co-worker at Fire Station 21 in Ocala
A falling interstate sign crushed a vehicle on I-77 South, seriously injuring two people and forcing a seven-hour shutdown
A natural gas-fed roof fire sent thick black smoke over downtown Raleigh but was extinguished in about 30 minutes

©2025 Advance Local Media LLC.
Visit nj.com.
Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

Company News
AT&T’s FirstNet deployable network provides mission-critical connectivity through mobile satellite solutions and portable infrastructure