Bergen County Firefighter Killed Battling Restaurant Fire

A Bergen County fire captain with more than 40 years of service was killed early Friday morning battling a restaurant fire alongside his sons in Wallington, according to multiple reports.

Gregory Barnas, 57, was cutting a hole in the roof of  Akasaka Japanese restaurant when he fell off the roof and went into cardiac arrest, according to reports.

It’s unclear what caused the firefighter to fall.

Barnas was transported to Hackensack University Medical Center and pronounced dead.

Barnas’ sons John and Kevin are firefighters, county officials told the news station, and the 57-year-old Wallington man had been on the force since 1972. 

The two-alarm fire originated in an electrical fixture in the restaurant kitchen, according to northjersey.com.

Firefighters praised Barnas as a dedicated civil servant to whom people looked up.

Congressman Bill Pascrell (D-9th) Friday afternoon sent his "thoughts and prayers" to the Barnas family.

"Greg gave his life as he selflessly put himself in harm's way to protect the community he proudly served, and for that we all owe him a tremendous debt of gratitude," Pascrell said.