Clinton Place Fire

[Editor]

There was a serious fire on the south side of Clinton Place, one house west of Prospect.  The home is a total loss.  I heard that the owners were not home or that they got out safely. Two firefighters were injured.  From what I heard at the scene, the fire started from a propane tank that exploded.

Feel free to follow up with better information.  In the meantime: Propane Gas Grill and Range Safety Tips

[Editor]

Teaneck Fire Captain Injured Battling Hackensack Blaze
TFD captain fell when roof collapsed at three-alarm fire
By Noah Cohen
2:00 am

A Teaneck Fire Department captain was hospitalized after he fell through a roof while fighting a three-alarm blaze in Hackensack Saturday, fire officials said.

The fire captain fell about 12 feet onto his air tank and was being held overnight for observation at Hackensack University Medical Center, according to officials. He was in significant pain, but able to move his extremities.



Firefighters from Teaneck along with several nearby towns, including River Edge, Ridgefield Park and Bogota, were called to assist after flames erupted at a house on Clinton Place, officials said. Authorities were investigating if a propane tank explosion sparked the flames.

Crews were still dousing hot spots more than three hours after the blaze was reported around 6:10 p.m., a fire official said. 

Video from the scene showed flames shooting through the roof and thick smoke pouring out of the structure.

[just watching]

Oh, no, the Halloween block. That fire is more scary than any of the Halloween decorations. What a terrible loss for one of best streets in Hackensack. It's sad to see such a nice house all burned up like that.  Glad that the homeowners are OK, hope the fireman recovers.

[Skipx219]

More footage of my old neighbor's house fire and a report on the TFD Captain.

http://www.cliffviewpilot.com/bergen/3867-teaneck-fire-capt-paul-kearns-ok-after-hackensack-fire-fall

[Editor]

Another video (Thanks Skip)

[BLeafe]

Here are some pictures I took today, plus a cell phone photo I took in 2008 that shows part of the same house (posted under the "Halloween Decorations on Clinton Place" topic):

[Editor]

Hackensack PBA raises funds for family dislocated by fire
Friday, July 20, 2012
BY MARK J. BONAMO
MANAGING EDITOR
Hackensack Chronicle

The Hackensack chapter of the Policemen's Benevolent Association is raising funds for a retired officer whose family is dealing with hardships not from the aftereffects of a crime, but a fire.

A three-alarm blaze decimated a two-story home at 265 Clinton Place in Hackensack on May 26.

The house, which fire officials have designated for demolition, happened to be the childhood home of retired city Police Officer Bill Novak, a 25-year veteran of the force. Novak's parents, who were living in the house at the time of the fire, escaped injury but were forced to relocate.

Novak's mother and father are now living in a nursing home and assisted living facility respectively, waiting for the insurance payment for their lost home that will help them make the next step.

Police Officer John Herrmann, president of PBA Local 9, which includes the Hackensack Police Department, felt that the time was now for other officers to step up to help one of the community's own.

"The family is having a bit of a hard time right now, and apparently insurance hasn't done much for them yet," said Herrmann, who was elected PBA Local 9 president last month. "We feel like this is the right thing to do."

Herrmann noted that individual members of the police force have collectively raised $1,000 for Novak's family, with another $500 coming directly from the local union chapter.

"We feel as a local that it's our job to help our brothers and sisters in their time of need," Herrmann added. "We want to make sure that from now on, we take care of our members, past and present."

Email: bonamo@northjersey.com