Crime & Safety

Fire Destroys Ramapo Brae Condo, Displaces 8 People

According to authorities, a pet perished in the fire.

Eight people were displaced by an early morning fire that broke out in the Ramapo Brae development off Stag Hill Road Monday morning, Mahwah Police Chief Jim Batelli said.

The fire completely destroyed one condo unit and damaged two others, Mahwah Fire Chief Ed Garza confirmed.

“[It was] very bad this morning,” Garza said Monday.

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Though he said no people were hurt in the fire, “I believe a pet perished.”

According to Batelli, one man lived in the unit that was destroyed. He was already outside when officers responded to the fire and was uninjured, Batelli said.

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“The resident said he believed the fire started in a space heater on the first floor,” Batelli said.

“He attempted to put it out but was unsuccessful.”

According to Garza, the fire broke out at about 3:40 a.m. All five Mahwah fire companies, as well as crews from Ramsey, Allendale, and Suffern, N.Y. responded to the scene.

“Due to fire load the first floor ceiling had collapsed in the first floor living room, making it unsafe to try any interior ops,” Mahwah Company 1 posted on its Facebook page.

“FD units were able to stop the fire from spreading to the condos on both sides, containing the fire to the one unit.”

Firefighters fought the blaze for about four hours Monday morning, with several still on scene at about 8:30 a.m. Monday, authorities said.

That unit was determined to be structurally unsound, and the two next door suffered smoke and water damage, Batelli said. From the three units, a total of eight people have been displaced, he said.

During the fire, "all five connecting units were evacuated by Mahwah Police Officers and moved to a safe location," Batelli said.

An MPD fire investigator was on the scene at about 9 a.m. to investigate the cause and origin of the fire, Batelli said.


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