Father and son killed in fast-moving house fire in North Arlington, New Jersey identified

Friday, September 17, 2021

Father and son killed in fast-moving New Jersey fire identified

A father and a son who died in a third alarm house fire in North Arlington early Friday morning have been identified by investigators.

NORTH ARLINGTON, Bergen County (WABC) -- A father and a son who died in a third alarm house fire in North Arlington early Friday morning have been identified by investigators.

They are 75-year-old Safwat Saad and 44-year-old Maged Saad, the Bergen County Prosecutor's Office said.

Both men were pulled from the flames that broke out on the second floor of the 9th Street home just before 4:15 a.m.

They were pronounced dead at the hospital.

The older man's 66-year-old wife was rescued by ladder from the second floor. Neighbors tried to keep her calm as emergency responders tried to find her son and husband -- but by the time they found them, it was too late.

The fire started in a second floor bedroom and the victims unsuccessfully attempted to put out the flames.

The family has lived in this corner house for 19 years, and officials say there were some disabilities involved - but that did not hamper rescue efforts.

The mother told neighbors that she survived the early morning fire because the man she married realized something was wrong.

She told a neighbor she thinks the fire broke out behind a computer.

The cause of the fire is under investigation but not considered suspicious.

The Bergen County Prosecutors Office is investigating.

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