Video: N.J. Police Officers Rescue Residents from Burning Home

By Anthony G. Attrino

Source nj.com

Two Carlstadt police officers are being hailed as heroes after rescuing three residents from a burning home Tuesday night, officials said.

Officers Brian Monroe and Chelsea Marafelias responded to a call about someone having difficulty breathing at a house on the 600 block of First Street around 8:30 p.m.

Upon arrival, Marafelias immediately realized there was an active fire, with smoke and flames visible from the first floor. Monroe arrived seconds later, authorities said.

The two officers rushed into the first floor, where the fire was located, and escorted a resident to safety. Marafelias then went upstairs through a shared stairwell to alert and evacuate two more residents from the second floor, police said.

Body-worn camera video from the scene later revealed that less than a minute after the officers’ rescue efforts, the fire breached a door separating it from the stairwell, engulfing the area in flames.

“If our officers did not act so quickly, the situation could’ve been tragic,” Carlstadt Police Chief Thomas Cox said. “Our officers consistently demonstrate remarkable courage, running toward danger to protect and save lives.”

One of the residents was taken to Hackensack University Medical Center for treatment of injuries, police said. Two firefighters sustained minor injuries while battling the blaze.

The cause of the fire remains under investigation.

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