Mall Fire DRAMA: How Two Sprinklers & Hackensack Firefighters Saved Riverside Square from Disaster
the staff of the Ridgewood blog
Hackensack NJ, A routine Saturday morning at the Riverside Square Mall in Hackensack, New Jersey, was disrupted by an urgent alarm, but thanks to the swift, professional response of the City of Hackensack Fire Department (HFD), a potentially devastating fire was contained and controlled.
At 10:33 AM Saturday, HFD units rushed to the mall following reports of a fire alarm and a distinct odor of smoke. Upon arrival, the situation quickly escalated. First-arriving units, working with mall security, located an active fire in the rear storage area of the Free People clothing store.
Sprinklers and the First Platoon Save the Day
The rapid containment of the blaze highlights two key factors: effective fire suppression systems and aggressive firefighting.
- System Success: The store’s two overhead fire sprinklers activated immediately, playing a crucial role in keeping the fire localized and preventing it from spreading to the main retail area or neighboring shops.
- HFD Action: The HFD’s 1st Platoon, led by Deputy Chief P. Greco, quickly brought the incident under control. Firefighters stretched over 500 feet of attack hose from Engine 5 to reach the area, performing primary searches and extinguishing lingering hotspots to ensure the fire was completely out.
While the fire damage was limited, some adjacent stores did sustain water and smoke damage from the suppression efforts.
The Mall Reopens While HFD Handles Second Emergency
Following the successful suppression, the focus shifted to recovery. Hackensack Fire Prevention, the Hackensack Building Department, and Mall management worked together to isolate the affected area and immediately restore the building’s fire alarm and sprinkler system. Because of this prompt action, the majority of the mall was able to reopen quickly for shoppers.
The cause of the fire remains under investigation, but initial reports indicate it does not appear to be suspicious in nature.
This incident also underscored the essential nature of having robust emergency resources. Even as units were still managing the mall fire, Deputy Chief J. Derevyanik, Engine 2, and Rescue 2 had to simultaneously respond to an unrelated emergency—an overturned vehicle with injuries on South Summit Ave. This highlights the critical importance of Hackensack’s comprehensive staffing model, which ensures that additional units are always available to protect other areas of the City during ongoing incidents.
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