Man Rescued From Burning Bergen County House: Officials

FAIR LAWN, NJ — Two residents of a Bergen County home were hospitalized Monday afternoon after a fire began in a bedroom, officials said.

Two firefighters were able to carry a "non-ambulatory elderly man" from the second floor of the Fair Lawn home to safety, officials said.

The Fair Lawn Fire Department headed to a house fire on 28th Street around 4:30 p.m. Monday, officials said.

Assistant Fire Chief Mike Salvini and Deputy Fire Chief Marc Palmieri saw a "a heavy smoke condition" and requested backup.

The men entered the building despite "near zero visibility," and found a man on the second floor, officials said. They brought him outside to safety.

All four Fair Lawn fire companies responded, the department said.

The fire had started in a first-floor bedroom and was contained to that room by a closed door, officials said.

Fair Lawn Fire Chief Ralph Rinaldo said, “Our two firefighters did an amazing job locating the resident and getting him out of the building quickly in near zero visibility conditions. In addition, the door of the fire room was closed. This isolated the fire and prevented the fire from spreading. Had the door been left open we may have had a very different outcome today.”

The fire was declared under control before 5 p.m.

"The department conducted salvage and overhaul procedures and all fire units cleared by 6 p.m.," the department reported.

Two residents were injured and transported to Valley Hospital. A firefighter was treated at the scene and did not require hospitalization.

The Fair Lawn Rescue Squad, the Fair Lawn Volunteer Ambulance Corp, the Fair Lawn Police Department, and the Fair Lawn Office of Emergency Management also assisted on the scene.

The fire is under investigation by the Fair Lawn Fire Prevention Bureau, officials said.