Lightning Sets Montclair Home Ablaze, Family Parrot Rescued: MFD

MONTCLAIR, NJ — A nighttime lightning strike set a Montclair home ablaze last weekend, but didn’t end with any injuries for the residents or emergency responders.

According to the Montclair Fire Department, the residents of the Bradford Avenue home managed to self-evacuate themselves before fire crews arrived. However, emergency responders rescued and treated the family’s parrot, which was then transferred to a nearby animal hospital.

Montclair firefighters received a call at 11:32 p.m. on Saturday from a resident of the home after their third-floor filled with smoke. Firefighters soon arrived on the scene to find flames leaping from the house’s rear roofline, authorities said.

The fire eventually reached 3rd alarm status, with units from Bloomfield, Orange, East Orange, Clifton, West Orange, Cedar Grove, Verona and Roseland helping to bring the fire under control and cover the township. The last units cleared the scene at 3 a.m., the MFD stated.

Damage to the home was complete to the 3rd floor. The basement, 1st and 2nd floors sustained water damage, officials said.

Local videographer Skyler Fire posted the below video taken at the scene.

Keep updated with local public safety alerts at the Patch Montclair Facebook page. Send local news tips and correction requests to eric.kiefer@patch.com