Assistant Chief Mike Salvini and Deputy Chief Marc Palmieri rescued a man from a second-floor bedroom as fire tore through his Fair Lawn home

By Anthony G. Attrino
nj.com

FAIR LAWN, N.J. — Firefighters in Bergen County rescued an older man who could not walk as a fire tore through his Fair Lawn home.

Members of the Fair Lawn Fire Department responded to a report of a house fire about 4 p.m. Monday on 28th Street.

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When they arrived, firefighters found a heavy smoke condition.

Assistant Chief Mike Salvini and Deputy Chief Marc Palmieri entered the burning structure, where they found the resident in a second-floor bedroom.

“Both chiefs removed the victim to safety. All four Fair Lawn fire companies responded to the alarm, bringing a total of 25 firefighters to the scene,” a fire department spokesman said in a statement.

Firefighters contained the fire to a first-floor bedroom and brought it under control by about 4:45 p.m.

The rescued man and another resident were taken to Valley Hospital in Ridgewood and were expected to survive.

One firefighter was treated for injuries at the scene and did not require hospitalization, the spokesman said.

The cause of the fire is under investigation by the Fair Lawn Fire Prevention Bureau.

Fair Lawn Fire Chief Ralph Rinaldo said firefighters acted heroically in rescuing the man.

“Our two firefighters did an amazing job locating the resident and getting him out of the building quickly in near-zero visibility conditions,” Rinaldo said.

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