Photo By Bill Tompkins

At 0800 HRS on May 29, members of the Paramus (N.J.) Fire Department were at the firehouse getting ready for a Memorial Day Parade. Dressed in their Class As with white shirts and ties, members were making final preparations when dispatch put the tones out for multiple cell phone calls reporting a working structure fire on Harvey Avenue. Members donned their turnouts over the dress uniforms and jumped on the recently polished rigs to respond.

On arrival, companies found a 1 ½-story frame dwelling heavily involved. Companies stretched lines and attempted to make a search, but the heavy fire kept all members outside the structure. Neighbors reported that the building was not occupied at the time. As flames came through the roof, Truck 4 set up for tower ladder operations in the front of the building. The stream from the tower ladder knocked a large part of the roof in, collapsing it to the first floor. Within about one hour, firefighters were able to extinguish most of the flames, and units were overhauling what was left of the building.