HILLSDALE — Ten firefighters were treated for non-life-threatening injuries after a flashover early Tuesday morning, Oct. 21, during a blaze that tore through a home at 29 Ellen Court, officials said.
The Hillsdale Fire Department was dispatched at 3:46 a.m. for a reported roof fire with a party possibly trapped. All residents were safely evacuated. Firefighters encountered heavy fire conditions extending into the attic, prompting a working-fire assignment.
A temporary loss of water supply inside the home caused conditions to worsen, resulting in a flashover. A mayday was transmitted but quickly cleared after all members were accounted for, according to Chief William Farrell.
The Hillsdale Volunteer Ambulance Service reported being dispatched at 3:48 a.m., establishing EMS Command on scene and coordinating additional emergency medical units. “Upon arrival, there was a flashover leading to multiple firefighters needing to be evaluated,” the EMS statement said.
In total, 10 firefighters were treated and transported to area hospitals with support from Westwood Volunteer Ambulance Corps, Hackensack Meridian Health ALS, Valley Health System ALS, Holy Name Hospital BLS, and the Mass Casualty Response Unit from the Englewood Hospital EMS Task Force. Crews operated for nearly two hours before being released at 5:41 a.m.
According to a statement from Bergen County Prosecutor Mark Musella early Tuesday afternoon, a joint investigation by the Prosecutor’s Office Arson Squad, the Hillsdale Police Department, and the Hillsdale Fire Prevention Bureau determined the fire was not suspicious in nature.
No residents were injured. The firefighters’ injuries, described as burns and other minor injuries, were not considered serious.
Musella thanked the Hillsdale Police Department, Hillsdale Fire Department, and the surrounding fire departments that supplied mutual-aid assistance during the response. He also thanked the Washington Township Police Department and the Teaneck Fire Department for their participation in the Bergen County Arson Task Force.
Chief Farrell thanked the Hillsdale Police, mutual aid partners, and all EMS units for their assistance. In sharing Farrell’s announcement, the Fire Department said, “We appreciate the well-wishes for all our members.”
Nick Ariemma of the Westwood Volunteer Fire Department posted later that day:
Tones at 3:28 a.m., mutual aid to Hillsdale for the roof on fire with a person possibly trapped. Working fire and multuple alarm tones followed quickly. Ran with the Spartan as second due truck.
The Beast was loose … the fight was intense.
At one point the Mayday horns blared and the Flashover popped. The gang in the scary masks, cool hats, and streaming water won … but not until 10 Firefighters were transported to local hospitals for everything from burns, to bruises & strains, a bit too much smoke, or exhaustion. EMS had a busy pre-dawn, and they were awesome.
Your neighbors from five towns volunteered to go fight for life and property without a moment’s hesitation.
If you’re new to the Pascack Valley, and you drive by the big, handsome firehouse in your town and think, Paid Fire Dept., you’ve not been introduced to the modern Minutemen (and -women) of our all-volunteer departments. Stop by when the doors are up and say hi.
Tuesday afternoon, the HFD posted: “We can’t say thank you enough for all the well wishes we’ve received today. All our members are home and will make a quick recovery. Attached are some pictures of a member’s gear who was injured. This is over $4,500 in PPE that is damaged or destroyed. We want to thank our rep from @thefirestore for coming out almost immediately to assist us with a gear inspection and a plan for replacement.”
Farrell later told Pascack Press, “We always have known how important training is, but an incident like this really brings it to the forefront. Everyone involved was able to get out with minor injuries because they did what they were trained to do. This is one of those ‘it can’t happen here’ events that you discuss over and over again but never truly expect it to happen.”
He said, “The fact that everyone operating on scene was able to regroup and continue fire suppression was amazing. I’m beyond proud of my membership and mutual aid partners for the quick response and even quicker thinking when things appeared to be not going our way.”
What Is a Flashover?
A flashover is among the most dangerous phenomena firefighters face. It occurs when a room’s contents and gases heat so intensely that nearly everything ignites at once, creating a rapid transition from a growing fire to full-room involvement.
According to the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA 921), flashover is “a transitional phase in the development of a compartment fire in which surfaces exposed to thermal radiation reach their ignition temperature more or less simultaneously.”
In practical terms, firefighters describe it as an inferno that can erupt in seconds. Warning signs include extreme, rapidly rising heat and flames rolling across the ceiling—known as rollover. Once a flashover occurs, escape time is measured in seconds.
Modern building materials and synthetic furnishings burn hotter and faster, making flashover more likely and more violent than in the past. Training and awareness—recognizing heat levels, smoke behavior, and ventilation effects—are key to survival.
