Photos and story by Ron Jeffers
Fire apparatus from two northern New Jersey counties converged on downtown Passaic, New Jersey, on the evening of November 13th as fire ripped through three mixed occupancy buildings, leaving 100 residents homeless.
At around 9 p.m. city firefighters were dispatched to 20 Broadway where they found heavy fire on the second-floor of a two-story mixed use building with a food market on the ground floor. Flames were already extending to Exposure D, a three-story ordinary structure containing a beauty salon on the ground floor and apartments above. A second-alarm was struck upon arrival of the battalion chief, followed by mutual aid calls.
In all, four buildings received damage in the the row of structures. Residents were evacuated to the street as the temperature read 30 degrees, and they were later taken to a senior center for shelter.
Heavy fire consumed the upper floors of the fire building and Exposures D and D-1, another three-story mixed use building. Flames rose high into the night sky and a defensive attacked was established. This included master steams from two tower ladders, a ladder pipe, and a deck gun.
Passaic mayor, Dr. Alex Blanco, told reporters that the cause of the multiple-alarm blaze was believed to be a “gas problem” in the basement.
Mutual aid fire companies that operated at the scene included units from Clifton, Paterson, West Paterson, Wallington, East Rutherford, Carlstadt, Totowa, and Little Falls. The Moonachie First Aid Squad responded with their rehab unit and set up a tent with portable heaters down the block from the fire for emergency workers to use during the night. Approximately five hours into the fire, East Rutherford firefighters located a pet dog in one of the apartments and took it to the cab of their tower ladder for shelter until the owner could be notified.
No injuries were reported, and fire companies maintained a watch-line overnight.
View more photos HERE.
