Fire doesn't care about your property taxes. It doesn't care if you live in a quiet cul-de-sac in Upper Saddle River or a high-rise in North Bergen. Honestly, when we talk about a fire in Bergen County NJ, most people think of it as a rare, "not in my backyard" kind of tragedy. But the reality on the ground is way more complicated than just occasional bad luck.
Take the early morning of October 21, 2025, in Hillsdale. A house fire on Ellen Court turned into a nightmare scenario. Around 3:46 a.m., crews rolled up to find a rear deck fire already climbing into the attic. Sounds routine for a well-trained department, right? It wasn't. Chief William Farrell later explained that a sudden loss of water supply inside the building triggered a flashover. If you aren't familiar with fire science, a flashover is basically when everything in a room hits its ignition temperature simultaneously. It's an explosion of flame. Ten firefighters were injured. One had to call a "Mayday." They survived, but it was a sobering reminder that even in one of the wealthiest counties in the country, things can go south in seconds.
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The Winter Wildfire Paradox
You’ve probably noticed the weather has been weird lately. I’m not just talking about "grab a jacket" weird. We are seeing a massive shift in how and when fires start in North Jersey. Traditionally, we worry about fires in July. But look at the data from the last couple of years.
New Jersey has been stuck in a brutal drought cycle. In late 2024 and heading into 2025, we saw hundreds of wildfires during months that are supposed to be "bone dry" but cold. Between January and March of 2025 alone, the state saw 215 wildfires. That is a massive jump from the year before.
Why? Because our forests are changing. The emerald ash borer—a nasty little invasive beetle—has been killing off ash trees across Bergen and Passaic counties. These dead trees don't just fall over; they stand there like giant, dry matchsticks. When you combine that with a lack of rain, our hardwood forests start acting like the Pine Barrens in South Jersey. They burn fast, hot, and unpredictable.
High-Rise Hazards and the Human Cost
It’s not just the woods. The density of Bergen County creates a unique set of risks for apartment dwellers. In April 2025, a fatal fire broke out at the Cullum Apartments in North Bergen. It started around 1:30 a.m. on the 10th floor. Two people—an 88-year-old man and a 77-year-old woman—didn't make it out.
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Living in a 17-story building means you are at the mercy of the structure's safety systems and the speed of the local departments. In that specific case, more than 24 units were displaced. People were literally fleeing to the basement in pajamas, crying, not knowing if they’d have a home to go back to. It’s devastating. What’s wild is that the same building had a fatal fire back in 2002. It shows that some risks are baked into the infrastructure of older high-rises, no matter how much we update the codes.
The Lithium-Ion Elephant in the Room
If you’ve walked through Englewood or Hackensack lately, you’ve seen the e-bikes. They’re everywhere. They’re great for the environment, but their batteries are becoming a primary cause of fire in Bergen County NJ.
Just this month, in January 2026, fire officials have been sounding the alarm. These batteries don't just "catch fire." They undergo thermal runaway. It’s a chemical reaction that creates its own oxygen. You can’t just throw a bucket of water on it. In fact, Chief Brian Crimmins from the nearby Hoboken department recently highlighted a case where a resident threw a lithium-ion battery down a trash chute. It sparked a smoke condition that could have leveled the floor if the response wasn't immediate.
Most people think, "I'll just charge my scooter in the hallway." Don't. If that thing pops, it blocks your only exit with a wall of toxic, 1,000-degree purple flame.
The Volunteer Backbone
Here is a fact that surprises people: Bergen County relies heavily on volunteers. While places like Hackensack or Teaneck have career departments, about 75% of New Jersey’s fire departments are volunteer-run.
- The Bergen County Fire Academy in Mahwah is constantly churning out new recruits, but the numbers are a struggle.
- The training is grueling. We’re talking about hundreds of hours of Firefighter I and II certifications just to get through the door.
- Response times in towns like Fair Lawn or Oradell depend on neighbors leaving their dinner tables to jump on a truck.
When you see a fire truck screaming down Route 17, there’s a good chance the person driving it is a local business owner or a teacher who just happens to be a highly-trained expert in structural suppression.
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What You Actually Need to Do
Enough with the "stay safe" platitudes. If you live here, there are specific, local factors you need to account for. Honestly, most people just check their smoke detector batteries once a year and call it a day. That’s not enough anymore.
- Get a Heat Detector for the Garage: Most home fires start in the kitchen or garage. If you charge an EV or keep a lawnmower in the garage, a standard smoke detector might not trigger until the fire is already through the drywall. A heat detector is a game-changer.
- Clean Your "Duff" Layer: If your property borders any of the county's wooded areas (think Alpine, Mahwah, or Franklin Lakes), you have to clear the leaf litter. That dry "duff" on the ground is what carries a brush fire right to your vinyl siding.
- The Battery Rule: Never, ever charge lithium-ion devices (ebikes, high-end power tools) overnight or near your primary exit. If it's gonna blow, you want it in a place where it won't trap you.
- Know Your Hydrant: In that Hillsdale fire, water supply was the breaking point. If you have a hydrant near your house, make sure it’s clear of snow in the winter and overgrown bushes in the summer. Seconds matter.
Bergen County is a beautiful place to live, but the combination of aging high-rises, changing forest dynamics, and new battery tech means the "fire season" never really ends anymore. It’s a year-round reality. Stay sharp.
Actionable Next Steps for Bergen Residents:
- Audit your charging stations: Move all e-bike and scooter charging to a location away from sleeping areas and exits.
- Check your local FD status: Find out if your town is volunteer or career. If it's volunteer, consider donating or looking into their "junior" programs for local teens—they are always looking for help.
- Clear a 5-foot perimeter: Remove all dead leaves and flammable mulch from the immediate five feet surrounding your home's foundation to prevent ember ignition during the dry spring months.