By Jeff Bahr
A house fire that escalated to four alarms broke out on Feb. 27 at 2:16 p.m. at 187 Brighton Ave., off Liberty Ave.
Kearny Fire Chief Steven Dyl said that firefighters arriving at the scene saw that “heavy smoke was coming out of the building” and dug in for a protracted battle.
“All of the building’s occupants were safely evacuated,” said Dyl, although one civilian and one firefighter were treated for minor injuries.
It is not yet known precisely what caused the fire or where it started.
The plume – and odor – of dense smoke emanating from the burning wood frame house carried well across the town and could be seen and/ or detected from at least a mile away. Emergency units from East Newark, Harrison and North Arlington joined the Kearny Fire Dept. to help battle the blaze, which had yet to be brought fully under control more than an hour after it was first reported.
A dangerous “flashover” (a near simultaneous ignition of combustible material) on the second floor of the home created an even more hazardous condition for firefighters, and homes located less than 10 feet away on either side of the house only added to the dilemma.
“The fire was extremely dangerous to other homes,” said Chief Dyl. “But we were able to stop most damage (to the homes),” he concluded.
A full investigation of the fire’s origins and path are currently underway.
