Fire damages Bergen County bagel shop

An early-morning fire damaged a Fair Lawn bagel shop and a neighboring business on Sept. 15, authorities said.

The Fair Lawn Fire Department responded to Hot Bagels at 6-07 Saddle River Road around 3:20 a.m. after a worker arriving to open the shop noticed heavy smoke and called 911.

Hot Bagels is a neighborhood breakfast spot serving bagels, cream cheese, whitefish salad, sandwiches and other breakfast and lunch items. The shop typically opens around 6 a.m., online business listings show.

Assistant Fire Chief Marc Palmieri said firefighters arrived to find smoke coming from the business and requested a full first-alarm response. About 35 firefighters from all four Fair Lawn fire companies responded.

A fire at Hot Bagels on Saddle River Road in Fair Lawn Sept. 15, 2026.

“The fire was quickly knocked down,” Palmieri said in a statement. “Thankfully, the worker arrived when he did and called us. Otherwise, if the alarm was delayed much longer the results would have been much worse.”

Firefighters found flames extending into the walls and ceiling and had to open the walls to fully extinguish the blaze, Palmieri said.

The bagel shop and an adjacent business sustained moderate damage, officials said.

The fire was brought under control about 10 minutes after firefighters arrived, and crews cleared the scene by 5 a.m. No injuries were reported among the worker or firefighters.

The Fair Lawn Rescue Squad, Fair Lawn Volunteer Ambulance Corps, borough Office of Emergency Management and Fair Lawn Police Department also responded.

The blaze remains under investigation by the Fair Lawn Fire Prevention Bureau.

This article originally appeared on NorthJersey.com: Fire damages Bergen County bagel shop