Montclair Firefighter Injured in Monday Night Fire

A multi-alarm fire seriously damaged a single-family home in Montclair and injured a firefighter Monday night, township officials said Tuesday.

The cause of the fire that ripped through an Orange Road home on the South End of town remains under investigation and a firefighter who was injured battling the blaze was treated and released from the hospital.

The Montclair Fire Department responded to an alarm at 8:30 p.m. and found heavy smoke and fire coming from the basement and first floor, according to a release from the township. No one was home at the time of the fire.

"Firefighters made an aggressive attack and brought the fire under control in 45 minutes," the release said. 

The building has extensive fire damage to the basement, first floor, second floor and the roof. 

The firefighter who was injured was taken to Mountainside Hospital in Glen Ridge where he was treated and released.

Neighbor Sandy Broadbent said she watched through the night as firefighters attempted to control the stubborn fire. 

"There was a lot of smoke," Broadbent said. "It was still going at 12:30 a.m."

Bloomfield and Cedar Grove fire departments assisted Montclair, which had all units on the scene. The township was covered by the West Orange, Clifton and Patterson fire departments.

The house is located across from the Brookside Campus of Montclair Kimberley Academy near Gates Avenue.