Fire Damages Wildwood Avenue Home

Dozens of firefighters converged on the scene of a mid-morning fire that badly damaged the home at 83 Wildwood Ave,, just two houses down from Grove Street.

A neighbor said that the residents, a woman and her college-aged daughter, were home when the fire started but escaped uninjured.

"I heard screaming and I looked out and there was smoke coming out of the upstairs bedroom window," said Yolanda Burmudez. "The people have dogs that also got out. It looks like it's just the top floor.

"I can't imagine what it must be like to see your house destroyed but it seems as though it's just the upstairs bedroom and attic area," she added.

Investigators at the scene declined to offer more details about the incident except to say that the family is being relocated with the help of the Red Cross.

Firefighters from both Montclair and Clifton could be seen tossing the remains of a mattress, as well as blankets, out of a second-floor window.

And several firefighters displayed huge grins when one was able to retrieve a cage housing a bird, still alive, from inside the home.

No flames could be seen, and the fire was extinguished by 11 a.m., but some smoke was still seen coming out of the windows at the top of the two-story home late morning.

The first floor of the home did not appear to be damaged.