Hurricane Sandy Sparks Electrical Fire That ‘Lights Up’ Mahwah Night Sky

A 50-foot stretch of electrical wiring and the electrical server on one house in Mahwah burst into flames after 10 p.m. Monday, fire officials said.

According to Assistant Fire Chief Ed Garza, a wire stretching from Mark Twain Way to Linden Street in Mahwah burst into flames apparently after an electrical server to a house on Ridge Road “blew apart. The gas light was hot, and there was fire on the ground and smoke in the house,” Garza said.

Residents in the area of Ridge Road reported seeing a large blaze.

“It lit up the sky,” Garza said. “It looked like daylight.”

The FD was able to cut power to the affected home and evacuate the family inside, fire officials said. The home’s entire electrical system was “fried,” by the fire, Garza said.

The homeowners suffered smoke inhalation, but no serious injuries, officials said. They have relocated to a hotel, firefighters said.

According to fire officials, this incident was the latest of over 20 calls they’ve answered between 6 p.m. and midnight.

The majority of the calls answered by the Mahwah FD during Hurricane Sandy are for downed power lines burning on the ground, Garza said.

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