House in Tenafly catches fire after massive tree crashes into bedroom

The crashing of a massive fallen oak tree on a New Jersey home was chaotic enough, but somehow the house it hit on Jefferson Avenue in Tenafly was on fire - just after a powerful storm blew through just before 9 a.m. Saturday.

The family was inside the home at the time and had just gotten out of bed when the tree crashed into the bedroom. They ran for their lives, and neighbors came running out to see what the sound was - and what shook the homes around it.

"It felt like another earthquake - at first, you don't realize what's happening because things are vibrating. Everything is - it's chaotic," said neighbor Todd Birch.

Birch said the home went up in flames immediately.

It was not clear if lightning had hit the tree to spark the fire, or if the tree or if something it made contact with in the house ignited it, but it kept firefighters busy for about an hour.

"We got here very quickly and we had heavy fire throughout the rear of the structure and a collapse," said Tenafly Fire Department Asst. Chief Mark Frederick.

Firefighters from Tenafly and Englewood got it out and now the massive cleanup begins. Tree crews have to get rid of the massive oak.

There is damage to at least one adjacent home.

Tenafly Mayor Mark Zinna says it is a good idea to check on big trees near houses to make sure they are healthy and not vulnerable to a strong summer storm.

"Residents should always be aware of trees on their property that they think are too big and damaged in some way, or maybe they're decaying and they should bring in either their own tree expert or contact the borough. We can send in one of our people to take a look at the tree because if a tree is dangerous, it should be taken down," said Zinna.

Neighbors are grateful for the quick firefighting response from Tenafly and Englewood, and grateful that the people who live inside the home were unharmed.

"The only thing that matters is the family is safe. The house can be rebuilt, we can plant new trees. The family is safe, and that's really the most important thing," Zinna added.

The tree was very old, but the house was built in 2019.

Eyewitness News spoke with a member of the family - they said they were just getting ready for their day when the incident happened, which was fortunate since the tree landed in a bedroom.

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