A two-alarm residential fire on Highland Avenue claimed the lives of eight cats on Tuesday afternoon, drawing emergency responders from River Vale and surrounding Bergen County communities.
River Vale police and fire departments responded to a distress call at 242 Highland Avenue at approximately 3:40 p.m. Upon arrival, emergency crews faced a rapidly spreading blaze inside the single-family home. Police Captain Josh Wisse confirmed that no residents were inside the structure when the fire broke out, and no human injuries were reported during the incident.
While first responders successfully managed to prevent the fire from spreading to neighboring properties, the impact on the household's pets was severe. Eight cats perished in the fire. Emergency personnel managed to rescue a ninth cat, which was immediately transported to a local animal hospital for emergency medical treatment.
The River Vale Fire Department led the active suppression efforts, with mutual aid provided by nearby agencies. Volunteer firefighters from neighboring Closter dispatched units to provide standby coverage for the township, ensuring continuous emergency response capability while River Vale crews worked to extinguish the blaze and vent the smoke-filled home.
The cause of the two-alarm fire remains under active investigation by local authorities.