PASSAIC, NJ - On December 26th, a multiple-alarm fire ripped through a Passaic home and extended to exposures on both sides.

At around 9:15 A.M., companies were dispatched to 435 Harrison Street on a reported structure fire. While en route, Battalion Chief Alberti reported smoke visible in the distance and transmitted a second-alarm. On arrival, he found a heavily involved dwelling with heavy fire in the rear that was starting to extend to the exposure buildings at 433 and 437 Harrison Street. Exterior and interior hand lines along with master streams from Ladder 1 were placed into operation to knock down the heavy fire.

Mutual aid responders, either at the scene or in coverage, included firefighters from Carlstadt, Clifton, East Rutherford, Paterson, Wallington and the Hackensack MSU unit. Covering the city were companies Woodland Park, Totowa, Little Falls, Wayne and Garfield.

The blaze was declared under control at 11:00 A.M., but companies remained on scene to extinguish hot spots and pockets of deep-seated fire that were difficult to access due to a partial roof collapse.

The occupants of the fire building as well as the 'Delta' exposure building had to be relocated due to those structures sustaining severe fire damage. Two residents from the buildings were sent to the hospital, one of which suffered a broken ankle after jumping from the second floor prior to FD's arrival. An injured Passaic firefighter was transported to St. Mary’s Hospital for evaluation and later released. No other injuries were reported.