Date: March 3, 2002

Time: 12:50 AM

Address: 47 Schuyler Street, Belleville, NJ

Incident: Early morning fire routs tenants, injures two firefighters in Valley Section

Two Belleville firefighters sustained injuries while operating at a 2-alarm blaze in the Valley section of the Township overnight.

9-1-1 calls were received at 12:50 AM reporting a fire at the intersection of Cortlandt & Schuyler Streets. EMS # 1 was returning from a motor vehicle accident call, arrived first at 12:52 AM, and reported heavy fire and smoke showing from the third floor of a dwelling at 47 Schuyler Street. Engine # 2 arrived behind the ambulance and confirmed a working fire. Battalion Chief # 1 (George Pedalino) sized up the structure as a three-story wood-frame building, approximately 30' feet by 40' feet. Firefighters from Engine # 2 stretched an initial attack hoseline to the entrance and up to the third floor. EMS # 1 firefighters geared up and went to assist the engine company with search and rescue operations. Truck # 1 was initially delayed to respond, as they were out at an electrical transformer fire on Joralemon Street. When Truck # 1 arrived, firefighters raised the aerial ladder on the Cortlandt Street side of the building, and performed a primary search and ventilation operations. As Engine # 3 arrived, a water supply was established from the hydrant, and those firefighters brought a second hoseline to the fire floor, where extinguishment operations were being conducted. The primary search for trapped occupants proved to be negative at this time, and all companies were heavily engaged extinguishing the fire.

The blaze spread quickly throughout the upper floors of the house. The flames vented out several windows and into the hallway inside. An aggressive attack contained the bulk of the fire to two rooms, and extensive overhaul was required to access pockets of hidden fire that continued to burn under the roofing materials. Due to the unusual construction and open spaces in the attic area, several firefighters had to operate under heavy smoke conditions from the aerial ladder forty feet off the ground. Two firefighters were removed from the ladder after sustaining serious injuries to their legs from working at a precarious angle. They were assisted by the FAST company firefighters standing by, and taken to the awaiting EMS unit.

The fire was handled by the on-duty response of twelve firefighters. (Three firefighters on Truck #1, two on EMS #1, three each on Engine #2 and #3, and the Battalion Chief. Battalion # 1 called for a second alarm, requesting mutual aid from Bloomfield and Nutley Fire Departments, who each sent one engine to the scene. An additional EMS unit was manned and sent to the scene to assist. The fire was declared under control at 02:12 AM, and completely extinguished by 02:45 AM. Firefighters remained on the scene until approximately 8:00 AM conducting an investigation and overhauling the building.

The residents of the apartment units were home at the time of the fire, and were forced to relocate with relatives. They did not sustain any injuries, as they were awake and on the lower floors when the fire was discovered. There were smoke detectors in the two-family structure, but none were determined to be operating at the time of the fire. The building sustained heavy fire damage to the third floor, with smoke and water damage on the first and second floors. The building was declared uninhabitable, and several tenants were relocated with the assistance of the American Red Cross.

The two firefighters who were injured at the fire both sustaining fractures to the feet. Belleville EMS # 2 transported both firefighters to Clara Maass Hospital for treatment. They were then released from the emergency room after several hours and placed off-duty.

The cause of the fire is being investigated at this time, and no official cause has been declared at this time.

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