Dog Dies In Livingston House Fire, Firefighters Battle Raging Flames

A dog died in a house fire in Livingston on Sunday morning. No other injuries were reported, authorities said.

According to the Livingston Fire Department, the blaze broke out at a home on the 200-block of West Mount Pleasant Avenue around 3:44 a.m.

When firefighters arrived at the scene, they found heavy flames venting out of the windows on the second floor. All of the home’s occupants were accounted for, authorities said – but a family dog suffered fatal injuries, authorities said.

Firefighters said the blaze was difficult to access and extinguish due to the construction of the home, which includes plaster and lath wall coverings, as well as knee walls. Other hazards included severely cold weather and freezing ice conditions.

Livingston Fire Chief Christopher Mullin said crews were evacuated from the structure. Exterior master streams from a LFD fire truck were opened up to knock down the flames, which were coming through the roof.

Once the main body of fire was knocked down, crews resumed interior firefighting efforts, Mullin said.

Livingston firefighters managed to put out the fire after about 90 minutes. They received aid at the scene from the Roseland, East Hanover and Milburn fire departments, with an engine from the West Orange Fire Department standing by at LFD headquarters to cover the rest of the community. In addition, an air truck was requested from the Bloomfield Fire Department to assist in filling SCBA bottles for the units operating at the scene.

Route 10 was closed for about four hours while firefighters put out the conflagration.

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