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Church is destroyed by blaze
Community Life
March 21, 1992
WESTWOOD - The Seventh-day Adventist Church on
Washington Avenue was gutted by a blaze early Sunday morning. At 12:25
a.m., on March 15, the Westwood Fire Department was called to the scene of
the fire already in progress at 200 Washington Avenue. Firefighters
battled the blaze for the next five hours.
Fire units from Emerson, Hillsdale, and
Township of Washington assisted at the scene. Despite the efforts of the
firefighters, the building was completely destroyed.
Four Westwood firefighters were injured. Don
Palidino was admitted to Pascack Valley Hospital for smoke inhalation,
Mike Smith was transported to the hospital by the Emerson Ambulance Corps.
and was treated for smoke inhalation and released. Two other firefighters,
James Polbos and Joe Dunigan, received minor injuries and were treated at
the scene by emergency medical personnel.
The Westwood Fire Department, under the
command of Fire Chief John Woods, arrived within minutes of the alarm, and
found flames issuing from windows on at least two sides of the building.
Firefighters attempted to gain entry to extinguish the fire, but were
forced out by extreme fire conditions. At this point, Chief Woods ordered
an exterior attack on the fire.
"Conditions were so severe to risk sending
firefighters into the building when we knew no one was inside. Also, the
building was a truss construction, which has a high chance of collapse
during a fire." Chief Woods said.
The fire was declared under control at
approximately 3:30 a.m. However, fire crews remained on the scene until 5
a.m. to extinguish hidden pockets of fire.
The cause of the fire is being investigated by
the Bergen County Arson Squad, which is a routine procedure at all major
fires, according to the Westwood Fire Department. No signs of forced entry
have been reported.
Ambulances from Westwood, Hillsdale, Township
of Washington, and Emerson, along with paramedics from Pascack Valley
Hospital, were also called to the scene.
The Box 54 canteen unit from the Teaneck Fire
Department provided assistance. The Westwood Fire Department Ladies
Auxiliary provided refreshments for responding personnel.
During the fire, Emerson and River Vale fire
units stood by at Westwood fire headquarters because all Westwood
firefighters and equipment were committed at the scene.
Two Westwood churches, Saint Andrew R.C.
Church and Calvary Baptist Church, have offered space for the 25-member
congregation to meet until other plans are made. The Seventh-day
Adventists, who gather for worship on Saturday, are also considering the
use of a sister church in Hackensack, or may meet in a Seventh-day
Adventist School in Waldwick.
The cost of the damage to the church, which
has been at the Washington Avenue site for nearly 40 years, has not yet
been assessed.
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