The Fair Lawn Fire Department was called to the parking lot of the former Boston Market on January 24 at 9:58 a.m. due to a vehicle fire. Assistant Fire Chief Marc Palmieri discovered a garbage truck with an ongoing fire in the compactor section when he arrived. Firefighters discovered that the truck's hydraulic system had malfunctioned, limiting access to the fire and preventing the load from being dumped. Crews adapted operations to gain access, with the Fair Lawn Rescue Squad using hydraulic rescue tools to pry open the compactor while a bucket loader was used to hold it open. Ladder 2 was positioned to supply a master stream, allowing crews to remove and extinguish burning cardboard from the truck. Due to the fire’s location and freezing temperatures, operations continued for more than three hours. All units were cleared from the scene at approximately 1:30 p.m.