Sunday Fire Leaves Apartments Unlivable

More than a dozen tenants are still displaced after a fire tore through an apartment building this weekend. 

The fire began around 7 p.m. Sunday in a two-story apartment building at 15 Forest St. The third-degree fire began in a second-floor apartment in the rear of the building. Smoke could be seen and smelled for blocks while the fire burned that night. 

"It was a labor-intensive fire," said Montclair Fire Department Chief Kevin Allen on Tuesday. "It was a lot of work and they did a great job."

The fire is not considered suspicious at this time, said Allen. Investigation revealed the accidental fire was caused by a tenant burning incense. 

By the time firefighters arrived at the scene, the fire was well developed, said Allen. Flames could be seen rising more than 15 feet in the air from a rear apartment window.

“Flames were on both sides of the building,” said tenant Nikki Abdulai on Sunday night as she watch firefighters battle the blaze.

In addition to the Montclair Fire Department, emergency vehicles from Cedar Grove, Bloomfield, Clifton and West Orange were at the scene, and assistance was provided by East Orange, Orange and Verona at a Montclair fire house. 

The location of the fire in the rear of the building proved difficult to get to, said Allen. A ladder extended from a fire engine parked in front of the apartment building allowed firefighters to access the roof where they broke through the ceiling to combat the fire. 

Firefighters were soon called down off the roof over fears of the roof collapsing.

"The fire did significant damage to the condominium," said Allen. 

One firefighter received minor injures while pulling a hose, but there were no other injuries reported. 

At least one family living in the building received disaster relief aid from the Red Cross. 

The apartment building is located on a mixed-use suburban street two blocks from Bloomfield Avenue near the center of town. The building is nestled among residential homes, two high-rise apartment buildings and businesses. 

Tenants were able to access the building with fire and police officials Monday to remove belongings. On Tuesday, second-floor windows were boarded up. 

The apartment building remains uninhabitable for the more than dozen tenants, which includes two families with young children. 

Local officials are expected inspect the building this week.