Two Firefighters Injured in Blaze, Home Damaged

A fire ripped through the roof of a home on Eton Road in Livingston, injuring two firefighters, officials on the scene said. 

Shortly before 1 p.m., the two-alarm fire erupted in the upper roof area in the rear of the house and left the split-level home "severely damaged," Livingston Detective Sgt. Anthony Dippold said. 

Nobody was home during the incident but the blaze sent one firefighter to the hospital, with another treated on scene for a cut on his arm, Dippold said. 

One of the firefighters was taken to Saint Barnabas Medical Center because he was having problems breathing and became ill, Dippold said. (Updated: The firefighter was treated and released from the hospital).

Livingston Assistant Fire Chief Kevin Francione said the damage to the home was significant, with fire damage to the kitchen and dining rooms. He said the home's infrastructure was also unstable because the support beams were damaged. 

Dippold said there were holes in the roof, broken windows and torn down walls that were opened up to battle the blaze. 

He said a contractor would board up the roof with wood to protect the home from further water damage and Hurricane Irene this weekend. 

A paramedics unit that was in the area reported the fire at 12:49 p.m.

Officials on scene ruled the fire accidental and said lightning may have been the cause, but the incident remains under investigation.

Lily Antoine, the sister-in-law of the family, arrived on scene after the flames had been extinguished. Though she did not live in the home, she said the six-member family was vacationing in South Jersey. She said she had not been able to speak to them.

"They don't know, but I left a message on their voicemail," said Antoine. Arriving with her two daughters, Antoine said she didn't want to see the damage.

As she left, she took two white birds that were inside the home. Inside the cage were small eggs the birds had recently laid. The animals were not injured. 

The home will not be inhabitable for "a couple of months," said Francione. 

The Millburn and Roseland fire departments were on stand-by in Livinston during the fire.