Husband And Wife ID'd As Victims In North Bergen Fire

NORTH BERGEN, NJ — A husband and wife are victims in the fatal fire that broke out at a senior citizen building in North Bergen early Thursday, officials said.

The couple were identified as Reynaldo Tatis, 88, and Miriam Tatis, 72, according to a spokesperson for the town of North Bergen. They lived on the 10th floor of the high-rise.

The Hudson County Regional Arson Task Force, North Hudson Regional Fire and Rescue, and the North Bergen Police Department are investigating the blaze, said the Hudson County Prosecutor's Office on Friday.

They said that shortly after 1 a.m., North Hudson Regional Fire and Rescue was notified of a fire at Cullum Apartments, a high-rise apartment building at 6299 Grand Ave. in North Bergen.

First responders found fire and heavy smoke inside a tenth-floor unit. The couple were found inside and pronounced dead at the scene.

Two North Bergen Police Officers suffered minor injuries and were treated at Hackensack Medical Center, prosecutors said.

Twenty-seven residents were displaced.

Foul play is not suspected at this time, prosecutors said. Anyone with information is asked to contact the Prosecutor’s Office at 201-915-1345 or to leave a tip at: https://hcpo.opsnetwork.org/tips. (All information will be kept confidential.)

"The North Bergen Housing Authority is working closely with the Police Department, North Hudson Regional Fire and Rescue, the Red Cross, NB C.A.R.E.S, and other public agencies to respond to a serious fire that occurred overnight at the Cullum Towers senior housing complex," said Mayor Nicholas Sacco on Thursday morning. "Affected residents are being moved into temporary shelter at a nearby hotel until it is safe to return to the building."

North Bergen has a high senior population, with more than 10,000 over 65.