Teaneck Fire Captain Recovering After Fall at Hackensack Blaze [Video]

A Teaneck Fire Department captain remained hospitalized Sunday after he fell 12 feet through a roof while battling a three-alarm blaze in Hackensack, officials said. 

Paul Kearns, captain of Teaneck's Engine One, was in good spirits but still in pain at Hackensack University Medical Center, said Fire Chief Anthony Verley, who visited the captain. 

Kearns was on the roof of a rear porch at a Clinton Place house working to ventilate windows when a section of the structure collapsed, Verley said. A Teaneck firefighter on another section of the roof then rushed to help the captain, who had landed on his air tank. 

Breaking out windows to ventilate the house helps prevent flashovers and provides a way for anyone trapped inside to escape, Verley explained.

It was not yet known when Kearns would be released from the hospital, Verley said. Doctors were still conducting tests but he had no broken bones. 

The blaze erupted around 6:10 p.m., after what was believed to be a propane tank explosion, an official said. Flames quickly spread from the rear through the roof of the two-and-a-half story home. 

Along with Teaneck and Hackensack, firefighters from towns including Maywood and River Edge were at the scene. 

Area residents on Sunday described a frightening scene as fire quickly ripped through the home. 

"It went out of control super fast," said neighbor Luis Sanchez. 

Another neighbor, Scott Proulx, said he was outside when he heard a loud whistling sound before seeing smoke. 

It took more than three hours for fire crews to fully knock down the flames.  

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First published 11 p.m. Saturday. Updated 5:50 p.m. Sunday.