Crime & Safety

Firefighters Take Down 'Unusual' Fire on Highwood Ave.

Wood and insulation behind the fireplace caught fire in a Ridgewood home early Monday morning, according to the fire department

put out a hard-to-locate fire on Highwood Avenue in Ridgewood early Monday morning.

According to Captain Chris DuFlocq, firefighters responded to the Colonial-style home at roughly 4:45 a.m. and smelled a fire burning behind the fireplace on the first floor. 

"It was hitting through behind the masonary in the chimney," he said. "We had to break in through the wall to get to the fire."

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Insulation and wood hidden behind the fireplace and in between two masonary walls is believed to have caught fire and smoldered, DuFlocq said. Upon entry, he added, firefighters found heavy smoke, making the search more difficult.

"It was a really tough fire to locate," he said. "This was an unusual fire – we have these types of fires around chimney areas in homes. This one was extremely difficult to reach. It took some time to get in there and investigate."

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One firefighter suffered a minor injury, DuFlocq said. The homeowners were evacuated without injury.

The home suffered damage in the area behind the fireplace and the floor below the fireplace. It's still habitable, he said.

"The guys did a really good job of sticking with it, getting in there and progressively getting to the fire before it spread," DuFlocq said.


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