Bergen County Prosecutor Mark Musella announces the following information regarding the investigation into a two-alarm house fire on 3rd Street in Carlstadt, NJ, that occurred on Friday, January 16, 2026. This joint investigation was conducted by the Bergen County Prosecutor’s Office, under the direction of Deputy Chief Jeff Angermeyer, and the Carlstadt Police Department, under the direction of Chief Thomas Cox.
On Friday, January 16, 2026, at approximately 4 p.m., the Carlstadt Police Department and the Carlstadt Fire Department, along with mutual aid from several neighboring fire departments, responded to a fire at a multi-family home on 3rd Street in Carlstadt, NJ. During their initial response and fire suppression efforts of the two-alarm fire, the Carlstadt Police Department and Carlstadt Fire Department located an adult male victim on the second floor of the home. The victim, later identified as 67-year-old Joseph A. Poling, was pronounced deceased at the scene.
The Carlstadt 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 a joint investigation in conjunction with the Carlstadt Police Department, Carlstadt Fire Department, and Carlstadt Fire Prevention Bureau. The investigation conducted by the Bergen County Arson Squad and local fire officials revealed that the fire was not suspicious in nature.
Prosecutor Mark Musella would like to thank and recognize the Carlstadt Police Department, Carlstadt Fire Department, Carlstadt EMS, Bergen County Fire Mutual Aid Coordinators, and the surrounding fire departments that supplied mutual-aid assistance during the response to this fire. Additionally, Prosecutor Musella thanks the Bergen County Sheriff’s Office and the Emerson Police Department for their participation in the Bergen County Arson Task Force.