Leonia, N.J. - With wind gusts reported as strong a 32 m.p.h., flames rapidly extended throughout two townhouse structures on February 14^th, displacing over 30 residents.

Around 8:30 a.m., borough volunteer firefighters were toned out for a fire at the Grand av. complex.  The dispatcher also reported to incoming unit that calls were received reporting people trapped. Firefighters were greeted by heavy fire and smoke upon arrival, and mutual aid fire companies were called to the scene.  

Later, Chief of Department John Dunn informed the media that the fire appeared to have started in a ground floor garage.  An interior door was left open allowing the fire to extend to apartments.  In addition, a car parked outside of a garage was fully involved in flames. Firefighters began an interior attack and search of the building.  It was later discovered that the report of people trapped was unfounded.   

With the heavy volume of fire and high winds, flames ignited the townhouse on the other side of a courtyard shared by both buildings, officials said.  As fire was consuming both structures an evacuation order was transmitted.  In addition, a collapse zone was established. 

Firefighters began a defensive attack.  This would include three ladder pipes and two tower ladders around the complex.  The tower ladders came from Teaneck and Englewood Cliffs.  Teaneck carefully guided their apparatus down a narrow housing driveway and into a rear parking lot to set up their platform.  Truck companies from Leonia, Fort Lee and Cliffside Park supplied the ladder pipe operations.  Fire burned through the roof, and there were several sections of the buildings that collapsed.  

With the temperature around 30-degrees, the local DPW personnel covered the streets with rock salt to prevent slip and fall injuries to first responders.  

Fire victims were taken to a local center and assisted by borough officials and the Red Cross. Firefighters recovered several pet birds in their cage and took took them out to safety.  

The fire was placed under control around noon; however, firefighters remained at the scene locating hot spots until the early evening.  At 6:55 p.m., the incident was terminated and a demolition crew were on the scene ready to take down the remains of the structures.  

During the cold and windy day, rehab stations were set up by the Teaneck Box 54 Club and the County Wide Emergency Response Team.   

Mutual aid fire companies that operated at the multiple-alarm fire came from Teaneck, Englewood, Fort Lee, Cliffside Park, Ridgefield, Palisades Park, Edgewater, Englewood Cliffs and Hackensack.