At approximately 8:30 p.m. on December 21, all Tour 4 units from the Hackensack Fire Department were dispatched to the 1000 block of Prospect Street for a reported smoke condition inside a residence.

While homeowners were leaving, crews discovered a two-and-a-half-story wood-frame duplex with nothing visible. When firefighters entered the building, they discovered smoke in a Division 1 apartment where alarms were going off. Truck 1 forced entry while the tenant wasn't home. Crews discovered an active fire inside a bedroom on top of a storage dresser. Without extending to the rest of the building, Engine 1 swiftly contained and put out the fire by stretching a 1½-inch handline. After securing utilities, Truck 1 and Rescue 1 finished their primary and secondary searches, both of which came back negative. An unattended candle was found to be the source of the fire. Residents were advised by fire officials to keep candles away from flammable objects and to never leave them unattended.