Perth Amboy Restaurant Fire Under Investigation: Fire Officials

PERTH AMBOY, NJ - A restaurant fire in Perth Amboy that threatened several adjacent businesses and apartments was swiftly extinguished in the wee hours of Saturday morning, authorities said.

The blaze, which was reported shortly after 2:30 a.m., stemmed from Adonay Pupuseria y Restaurante Salvadoreño (445 Amboy Avenue), the Perth Amboy Fire Department said in a statement, with heavy smoke coming from other occupancies at 447 and 449 Amboy Avenue (a hair salon and dry cleaners, respectively).

Within 30 minutes, the fire was contained to the restaurant and placed under control, fire officials said.

“I thank our Perth Amboy Fire Department and Perth Amboy Police Department and our neighboring fire [departments] for their quick response to containing the fire that also saved adjacent businesses and [apartments] at this morning's fire,” Perth Amboy Mayor Caba said in a statement following the incident.

Adonay Pupuseria recently took over the lot at 445 Amboy Avenue, the former site of Formula 809 restaurant. The new restaurant will be closed for the foreseeable future due to damage sustained from the blaze, management confirmed to Patch, adding that the apparent cause of the fire may have stemmed from an electrical failure.

"We wholeheartedly thank the people who, in one way or another, supported us with the undertaking of this dream, and we hope that if God allows it we can reopen again in the coming months," the restaurant's owners told Patch in Spanish.

Neighboring residential properties that were evacuated during the blaze were allowed to return within an hour, Perth Amboy fire officials said. No injuries were reported, and all searches of the properties yielded negative.

The cause of the fire is under investigation by the Perth Amboy Fire Investigation Unit and Middlesex County Fire Marshal’s Office.

Mutual aid assistance was provided by Hopelawn, Avenel, Woodbridge, Fords Sayreville and Iselin fire units.