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Photos and report by Ron Jeffers
Flames rapidly raced through several wood-frame dwellings on February 2 in Bayonne, New Jersey, sending a huge cloud of black smoke over the area that could be seen for miles. Local officials said three homes were destroyed and 28 residents displaced.
Fire companies responded to Andrew Street shortly after 12 p.m. and encountered by flames and smoke. The rapidly moving flames affected two- and three-story dwellings at 82, 84, 86, and 88 Andrew Street.
Firefighters encountered water problems which included frozen fire hydrants. Long stretches of hoses ran for blocks to acquire the proper water supply for the many handlines used by firefighters as well as two tower ladders and one ladder pipe.
During the initial stages, as members were making a search on the second floor of one of the structures, flames raced up the stairwell. They closed the apartment door and radioed an urgent message for a ground ladder to be set up in the rear and escaped via a window. An evacuation order soon followed. Later on, the buildings experienced roof collapses and parts of the exterior walls came down. Live power lines were also a problem until the utility company shut off power to the block.
In all, a total of five alarms were sounded. That brought the city’s ten fire companies to the scene. Additional units that fought the fire included Jersey City Engines 13, 19, 22, 8; Ladders 4 and 8; Battalion 2; and a deputy fire chief assigned to O.E.M. Units that operated at the scene from the North Hudson Regional Fire & Rescue were Engines 1 and 9, Ladder 1, Battalion 1, and Safety 1.
Some of the Jersey City engine companies set up on 17th Street, behind the fire buildings, and utilized handlines through alleys and back yards. Master streams on Andrew Street included Bayonne Tower Ladder 2, Jersey City Tower Ladder 4, and a ladder pipe from Bayonne Ladder 3.
It took several hours to control the flames, as the temperature hovered around the freezing mark. Officials said two people were taken to the hospital as a precaution.
On this cold afternoon, the Bayonne Fire Canteen Unit and the Jersey City Gong Club set up their rehab units on opposite sides of the fire for the exhausted firefighters.
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