FORT LEE, NJ - An auto repair shop was engulfed in flames shortly before 4:30 P.M. on July 31st. A spen call to Palisades Park reporting a fire on Bergen Blvd. was reported.

As Palisades Park FD units responded, it was discovered that the fire was in Fort Lee at 1440 Bergen Blvd., on the border of both towns at Smile Auto Services. The building was fully involved as companies arrived and a second-alarm was transmitted, bringing mutual aid units to the scene.

Heavy fire totally engulfed the entire building and also incinerated several vehicles, including an old ambulance which was used by the business. Early into the operation, a firefighter sustained an injury and was transported to the hospital. 

An outside operation was ordered as master streams went into operation, along with exposure protection as the siding of the apartment building next door started to melt from the heat. Huge plumes of black smoke could be seen from a distance over eastern Bergen County. A firefighter sustained injuries that weren't considered life-threatening, according to Bergen County Prosecutor's Deputy Chief of Detectives Jeff Angermeyer.

Mutual aid operating at the fire scene included Palisades Park, Leonia, Cliffside Park, Edgewater, Englewood Cliffs, Teaneck BOX-54 For rehab, Ft. Lee Ambulance squad, and several Bergen County Mutual Aid Coordinators. Covering the borough on standby were companies from Englewood, Fairview and Ridgefield Park.

The business had been at the top of Bergen Boulevard in Fort Lee for 75 years. The building is a total loss, according to borough officials. The prosecutor's Arson Task Force was activated because of the firefighter injury, and they are investigating the cause of the fire along with Fort Lee authorities.