A fire tore through an apartment building on Brinkerhoff Street in Ridgefield Park before dawn Saturday, spreading across more than one floor and sending two people to the hospital before firefighters could bring it under control. Crews were called to 82 Brinkerhoff St. around 4:20 a.m., according to dispatch logs.
The fire broke out at a four-story apartment building that, per property records listed on Realtor.com, spans roughly 4,029 square feet and houses multiple residential units. Firefighters, aided by the Ridgefield Park Police Department, evacuated multiple residents from apartments and fire escapes as the fire spread, according to NJ.com. Emergency medical crews, including both basic and advanced life support units, responded to treat those affected.
Two Hospitalized as Crews Knock Down the Blaze
Two civilians were injured and taken to a nearby hospital for evaluation, fire officials said, per the same report. As of Saturday, no information about their conditions had been made available. Dispatch logs reviewed by 1st Responder News show crews had knocked down the bulk of the fire by around 5:00 a.m., roughly 40 minutes after the initial call.
The fire's cause remains under investigation, and it was not yet clear Saturday what sparked the blaze or how it managed to spread across multiple floors so quickly.
Eight Towns Answered the Call for Help
Ridgefield Park received mutual aid from fire departments in Teaneck, Hackensack, Bogota, Englewood, Little Ferry, Leonia, Moonachie and Ridgefield, according to the NJ.com report. That kind of regional response is built into how Bergen County fights major structure fires: a 2022 policy report from the City of Hackensack describes recommendations for automatic aid from neighboring paid career departments at first-alarm structural fires.
Ridgefield Park itself relies entirely on volunteers to answer these calls. The Village of Ridgefield Park notes its fire response is handled by an all-volunteer department made up of six distinct fire companies, backed by a Fire Prevention Bureau that dates back to 1914. New volunteer appointments require approval from the Board of Commissioners.
Not the First Time Mutual Aid Was Needed
Saturday's fire wasn't the first fire in Ridgefield Park. A Christmas Day 2024 fire also occurred in the village.
Because rescues Saturday relied on the building's fire escapes, the condition of those exterior egress routes is relevant. Public information about the condition of the Brinkerhoff Street building's fire escapes and fire suppression systems was not available.
Local squads may need support during high-demand emergencies, including multi-victim incidents. For now, the extent of the injuries in Ridgefield Park and the official cause of the fire remain open questions as investigators continue their work.
