Bergen County Prosecutor Mark Musella announces the following information regarding an investigation into the two-alarm fire that occurred on Birchwood Road, Glen Rock, NJ, on Sunday, January 5, 2025. This joint investigation was conducted by the Bergen County Prosecutor’s Office under the direction of Chief Matthew Finck and the Glen Rock Police Department under the direction of Chief Dean Ackermann.
On Sunday, January 5, 2025, at 9:21 p.m., the Glen Rock Police Department and Glen Rock Fire Department, along with mutual aid from surrounding agencies, responded to a fire inside a single-family, private residence on Birchwood Road. During their initial response and fire suppression efforts of the two-alarm fire, the Glen Rock Police Department and Fire Department evacuated an unresponsive, adult male victim located on the first floor. First responders began CPR on scene and the victim, later identified as 82-year-old Frederick Visser, was transported to the Valley Hospital in critical condition. Frederick Visser later died as a result of his injuries.
The Glen Rock Police Department notified the Bergen County Prosecutor’s Office Arson Squad and requested assistance from the Bergen County Arson Task Force. Detectives and arson investigators from the Prosecutor’s Office responded to the scene and initiated an investigation in conjunction with the Glen Rock Police Department, Glen Rock Fire Department, and Glen Rock Fire Prevention Bureau. The investigation conducted by the Bergen County Arson Squad and local fire officials into the fatal fire revealed that it does not appear suspicious in nature.
Prosecutor Musella would like to thank the Glen Rock Police Department, Glen Rock Fire Department, and the surrounding fire departments that supplied mutual-aid assistance during the response to this fire. Additionally, Prosecutor Musella thanks the Mahwah Police Department and the Hackensack Fire Department for their participation in the Bergen County Arson Task Force.