5-Alarm Apartment Fire Injures 3, Displaces Dozens In North Jersey: Mayor

PASSAIC, NJ — A five-alarm fire in Passaic over the weekend displaced dozens of people after heavily damaging an apartment building, officials said — and two firefighters were hospitalized with heat exhaustion.

The blaze at 10 School Street broke out at around 1 p.m. on Saturday, and also damaged the buildings at 8 School St. and 12 School St., according to Passaic Mayor Hector C. Lora. Part of the roof had collapsed above where the fire apparently started in a third-floor residence, he said.

Lora said that everyone was accounted for, including residents' pets, in an update from the scene. Two firefighters were taken to the hospital with heat-related injuries, and a resident was also treated for smoke inhalation.

The mayor said that between 70 and 80 people lived in the two buildings, which are currently uninhabitable. A temporary Red Cross shelter is set up at the Muhammad Ali School No. 23 on Dayton Avenue, for anyone displaced by the fire.

"Those affected and in need of a place to stay, meals or comfort are welcome," said the American Red Cross New Jersey Region in a social media post Sunday.

Officials are still investigating the cause of the fire.