Rutherford NJ 3rd alarm, 12 Walnut St. 12-07-19

A little before 04:00 on December 7th, 2019, Rutherford Fire Dept. was alerted for a reported house fire at 12 Walnut St. On arrival companies encountered a working fire in the basement of a 2.5 story frame which was already extending to the upper floors with heavy fire in the rear. A 2nd alarm was requested bringing mutual aid co's to the scene as well as for cover. The occupants were all reported to have fled prior to FD arrival and as an offensive attack was underway, primary searches confirmed the report. As conditions deteriorated, command ordered the 3rd alarm which brought additional mutual aid to the scene.
With heavy fire continuing to extend in the attic, all members were ordered to evacuate. After briefly hitting the fire from the exterior, knocking down much of the visible fire, companies re-entered in an attempt to open up and get the fire under control.
After approximately 10 minutes, heavy fire once again vented from the roof and out the rear as well as visibly burning through the wall on the Delta side of the home forcing command to once again evacuate the building. Several exterior hand lines and 1 ladder pipe were put into operation and enough headway was made to allow companies back inside to overhaul and complete extinguishment. The fire was placed under control just after 06:00. No injuries were reported and the cause is under investigation.