Family, Neighbors Flee Overnight Fire in Condo

A fire in a Heritage Court condo forced a family of four and their neighbors to flee their homes around midnight Wednesday.

Patricia Garbien said the fire started in her laundry room and firefighters were able to extinguish the blaze before it spread through the house or to other units.

The contents of the condo are expected to be unusable because of fire, smoke and water damage, she said.

"As long as everybody is safe, I don't care about the property," Garbien said.

Her two children, ages 9 and 12, had to run down a hall past the blaze on their way out, wearing pajamas and no shoes. Their dog also got out safely.

Garbien, who is a police officer for the Federal Reserve Bank in East Rutherford, said she went door to door to tell her neighbors to get out while she brought her phone to call 9-1-1. Her husband, Artur, was awake and was the first to alert them to the fire.

With the help of a relative and a friend, Patricia and Artur Garbien were cleaning up the aftermath of the fire Thursday morning. Their charred laundry room door, dryer and refrigerator were in a parking space outside the condo.

They have lived on Heritage Court for seven years and might stay with family in Clifton or with friends in Bloomingdale.

The family has faced challenges before. Garbien's 9-year-old son, Jakub, is a cancer survivor, and her 12-year-old daughter, Claudia, once was paralyzed for six months by Guillain-Barré syndrome. Patricia Garbien said facing struggles can make you stronger.

Police and fire officials could not immediately be reached for additional information.