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UPDATE: Portion of House 'Pretty Much Gutted' in Afternoon Fire

A fire that started in a service van quickly spread to a home on Swan Road in Mahwah, officials said

 

A Mahwah family was relocated Tuesday afternoon after a fire destroyed a portion of their Swan Road home, fire officials said.

According to Mahwah Fire Chief Ed Garza, the right side of the home, including the garage, closet, master bedroom and portion of the house’s roof, are “pretty much gutted out. Those rooms are totally damaged.”

The damage was contained to the right side of the house, he said.

According to Police Chief Jim Batelli, an electrician installing a generator in the house had parked in the driveway near the home’s garage. After 1 p.m., he heard a popping noise, and saw that his van was fully engulfed in flames, Batelli said.

The fire spread from the van to the garage, officials said.

Only the electrician was in the home at the time the fire broke out, and the two dogs inside the home were removed safely, Batelli said.

Authorities are not yet sure what sparked the fire in the van, which had been parked in the driveway since about 9 a.m. Tuesday, police said.

All five Mahwah fire companies, Mahwah Police, and Ambulance responded to the fire, as well as firefighters from Suffern, Ramsey and Wyckoff.

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Related Topics: Mahwah Fire

Laureen Motto Gallo

10:25 pm on Tuesday, February 26, 2013

OMG... He was installing a generator and he ended up burning the house???? Was his van INSIDE the garage? I feel sorry for the homeowners......

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Lauren Ann

10:51 pm on Tuesday, February 26, 2013

He did NOT burn the house down. The generator(which is located on the opposite side of the house) was installed and the job was done. The van was parked in the driveway near the garage. It was a freak accident, which the homeowners understand. Luckily no one was injured.

david calleo

10:25 pm on Tuesday, February 26, 2013

Thank you again Mahwah Fire Dept ! The whole house could have been lost ! Great job guys

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NANCY (BAMBERGER) CASTNER

10:25 pm on Tuesday, February 26, 2013

Thankfully the two dogs are safe & sound..am assuming that the home is not livable..where will the residents stay & how about the animals? Since I no longer live in the area, please tell me where Swan Road is located...from the photo the home and the landscaping to have been there for at least a decade...!! Thankfully the fire department was so quick to respond or all may have been lost...nice going MFD!! Formerly from Mahwah..NBC

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Joe T.

10:55 pm on Tuesday, February 26, 2013

I live nearby, it was a pretty nice house. Swan is back behind MacArthur Blvd. I think the owners got their things and are staying with family for the time being. Luckily most of the house was saved.

Bill Goffredo

1:19 am on Thursday, February 28, 2013

What's up with the upside down video?

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