CARLSTADT, NJ - A late-afternoon house fire claimed the life of a Carlstadt resident on January 16th.

Shortly after 4:00 p.m., firefighters responded to 417 3rd St. for a reported house fire. Arriving Assistant Chief Walter Stankiewicz confirmed a working fire and quickly struck a second alarm, bringing mutual aid companies to the scene. Heavy fire was already venting from the home through several second-floor windows. Handlines were stretched to the interior, and companies made quick work of knocking down the heavy fire within 20 minutes.

Mutual aid from East Rutherford, Hasbrouck Heights, Wallington, and Wood-Ridge assisted at the scene, along with the North Jersey County Fire Canteen and the Carlstadt Volunteer Ambulance Corps.

Bergen County Prosecutor’s Deputy Chief of Detectives Jeff Angermeyer said members of his office’s Arson Squad are investigating the cause of the fire with Carlstadt police. The fire appeared to have begun in the rear of the second floor of the home. One firefighter suffered a minor injury.