By MES Dispatch staff
The Briefing
• A South Essex, New Jersey, fire squad rescued a bedridden resident from a house fire in Maplewood early Monday morning.
• The basement fire at a two-story home on Gifford Court was reported at about 1:30 a.m. and burned for roughly two hours.
• Firefighters found the occupant in a hospital bed yelling for help and removed them to awaiting EMS personnel.
• Two civilians and one firefighter were hospitalized; two dogs also were rescued.
MAPLEWOOD, NJ — A South Essex fire squad company rescued a bedridden occupant from a burning home under extremely harsh conditions early Monday, fire officials said.
South Essex Fire Department/Facebook
The fire, which broke out in the basement of a two-story house on Gifford Court at about 1:30 a.m., prompted an emergency response that included Squad 32 and mutual aid companies from neighboring municipalities.
Firefighters entered the smoke-filled structure and located the resident, who was in a hospital bed and yelling for help, according to South Essex Fire Chief Joseph Alvarez and Mayor Sheena Collum.
The rescued occupant was conscious and breathing when turned over to emergency medical personnel; two other civilians and a firefighter were taken to area hospitals for treatment.
Two dogs also were rescued from the home, Collum said, and crews worked about two hours to bring the fire under control.
The Maplewood Fire Marshal and the South Essex Fire Department are investigating the cause of the fire.