‘Mayday!’: Hillsdale firefighters injured fleeing raging house fire

🔥Ten firefighters hurt in a fast-moving house fire in Hillsdale early Tuesday

🔥A flashover forced firefighters out of the home, and a mayday sounded

🔥All injuries were non-life-threatening

HILLSDALE — Ten firefighters were injured during a fast-moving house fire early Tuesday morning.

Hillsdale Fire Chief William Farrell said firefighters responded to a blaze on Ellen Court around 3:45 a.m. and found a fire on the back deck that had spread to the attic. A 911 caller told the dispatcher someone was trapped inside.

A temporary loss of water caused a flashover, causing firefighters to bail, and a mayday was transmitted. A flashover is the sudden ignition of all nearby combustible materials that causes temperatures to rise quickly.

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Investigation rules out foul play in Hillsdale fire

Firefighters brought in on a second alarm quickly got the fire under control, according to Farrell. No one was found to be trapped in the house, and all the residents made it out safely.

The chief said all of his members were accounted for and taken to a hospital with non-life-threatening burns and other injuries. An investigation by the Bergen County Arson Squad and Hillsdale's fire marshal determined the fire was not suspicious in nature.

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