Cat Saved, Woman OK After Saddle Brook House Fire

SADDLE BROOK, NJ — A woman escaped a fire at her Hutter Street home unharmed Tuesday, police said.

Police got a call about the fire at 7 a.m.; the woman, who is in her 60s, got out of the home, but her cat did not, said Chief Robert Kugler.

Officer Matt Benus was the first police officer at the house. The resident told him her cat was still inside, and he ran back in and rescued the animal, Kugler said.

Saddle Brook volunteer firefighters quickly extinguished the blaze.

A preliminary assessment by authorities revealed that the electrical fire started in the basement, Kugler said. The fire spread quickly because it was so close to the home's gas line, he said.

The house is uninhabitable. The resident is staying with family members, Kugler said.

It was the third house fire in the borough in the past week, the chief said.

A husband and wife escaped a fire that destroyed their home May 7, police said.

Related: Saddle Brook Home Engulfed By Fire: Police

Email: daniel.hubbard@patch.com