Paterson firefighters arrived within minutes at a wind-fueled blaze and found two adults and three children trapped on the second floor

By Muri Assunção
New York Daily News

PATERSON, N.J. — A fast-spreading house fire killed two adults and three children, all from the same family, in Paterson, New Jersey, on Halloween night, officials said Saturday.

Members of the Paterson Fire Department were dispatched to 15 Emerson St. for a reported structure fire shortly before 10 p.m. Friday, the department said in a news release.

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As firefighters headed to the scene, dispatch received multiple 911 calls reporting occupants trapped on the top floor.

About four minutes after the initial call, Engine 2 firefighters arrived at the home and encountered a small, wood-frame structure already engulfed in flames.

Despite a quick response and the best efforts of firefighters — who “fought tirelessly under extremely difficult conditions to try to save those trapped inside” — the blaze claimed the lives of the family, said Frank Lozada, president of the Paterson Firefighters Association.

After an “aggressive” attack on the flames, which were fueled by strong winds, firefighters encountered the five victims on the second level of the one-and-a-half-story structure, officials said.

They were later identified by the Passaic County Prosecutor’s Office as a 39-year-old man, a 38-year-old woman and three children, ages 7, 12 and 14, 12. A neighbor described them to WABC as “really good people (and) friendly.”

Two firefighters were transported to St. Joseph’s Regional Medical Center by Paterson Fire Department EMS, according to the department. Their condition was not immediately available Saturday afternoon.

Calling the fire a “heartbreaking tragedy that weighs heavily on our entire department and our city,” Lozada said the incident serves as a “somber reminder” of the critical role of functioning smoke detectors, promoting fire safety awareness and maintaining strong community support for emergency services.

The origin and cause of the fire remain under investigation, officials said.

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