A significant fire erupted late Friday, causing extensive damage to several buildings in New Jersey, injuring six firefighters, and leaving numerous residents displaced.
The incident began around 10:30 p.m. in a commercial property on Jefferson Street within Newark’s Ironbound area and rapidly extended to four additional buildings, including at least three apartment complexes.
Disturbing videos captured the scene, showing alarms blaring, flames leaping from windows, and over 100 firefighters battling the fire for hours.
Witness Jose Marte recounted, “We started seeing smoke coming from the building.” He noted that families, including children and pets, hurried to escape.
One local resident mentioned he managed to grab his two daughters and flee within moments. Another described flames breaking through windows and igniting the floor almost immediately after the fire started.
Reports indicated the inferno was finally controlled just before 3:30 a.m., with six firefighters treated for non-life-threatening injuries.
About 60 residents escaped unharmed but are now uncertain about their next steps. Jackie Calva, who lived in one of the affected buildings for over a decade, shared, “There’s almost nothing inside. The roof and everything has collapsed.” She expressed hope that the damage could be repaired.
On Saturday morning, evacuees returned to sift through the remains of their homes, gathering whatever they could salvage into plastic bags, as reported.
The American Red Cross is helping at least 15 families with temporary housing, food, and other essentials. The cause of the fire remains under investigation.
