State Of Emergency Declared As Massive Fire Evacuates Homes, Destroys Businesses, Closes Schools In NJ Town

BELLEVILLE, NJ — A massive, 12-alarm fire that ignited in an industrial area of Belleville on Sunday has been contained, but several buildings are still “actively involved” as of Monday morning, authorities said.

The blaze broke out on Cortlandt Street around 3 p.m. Firefighting crews could be seen converging on an industrial building at 347 Cortlandt Street, which houses a mattress warehouse and textile manufacturing business. Strong winds eventually spread the flames to multiple warehouses in the neighborhood – with several collapses reported – and additional structure fires were seen several blocks away.

The cause of the fire remains unclear.

There has been no loss of life and no civilian injuries, according to Mayor Michael Melham, who said it was “nothing short of a miracle.” However, one firefighter sustained a minor elbow injury and was transported to Clara Maass Medical Center. Several others were treated overnight for smoke inhalation and exhaustion.

A local state of emergency was declared on Sunday.

Multiple families living near the area were evacuated from their homes. The Red Cross said eight people received emergency aid for temporary lodging, food and clothing. Other residents reported that the fire left them without electricity, water and internet service.

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Power was knocked out at Town Hall, although fire, police, public works and the recreation department were not affected by the outage and remain in full operation. The Belleville Office of Emergency Management established a command station in the old Kmart parking lot. PSE&G also assisted at the scene.

Several fire departments in the area responded to the scene to aid their peers in Belleville. At one point, low water pressure complicated firefighters’ efforts to battle the blaze. The Belleville DPW eventually tapped into a larger main, and the Nutley DPW also pitched in, opening some of its interconnections to free up more water. A delivery of water also came in tankers from five different towns and the U.S. Army.

Thick, black smoke from the fire could be seen across North Jersey, stretching as far as Hudson County. Public safety officials told residents in the area to close their windows and avoid extended time outdoors.

A local business in Belleville – Legacy Boxing Club – was among those impacted by the devastating blaze.

THE DAY AFTER: FIRE UPDATES

Several township departments remained closed on Monday due to the power outage at Town Hall, with plans to reopen on Tuesday.

Belleville public schools were closed Monday due to town-wide impacts from the fire.

Portions of Washington Avenue will be closed indefinitely.

“This is what hell looks like the morning after,” Melham said in an update on Monday, sharing video footage of smoldering buildings.

The fire is contained and no longer spreading, but several large commercial buildings remain actively involved. As winds begin to pick up again, crews remain on scene and vigilant, the mayor said.

PSE&G has begun re-energizing power to neighboring streets, and the New Jersey Department of Transportation is assisting with road closures, Melham added.

Town Councilman Frank Vélez has also been sharing details about the fire.

According to an early morning update from Vélez, the Belleville Police Department’s emergency phone line is currently offline due to the power outage at Town Hall, and 911 emergency calls are being routed through Nutley.

“Please continue to avoid affected areas and allow our first responders to safely do their jobs,” Vélez said.

The Township of Nutley advised residents that there may be some discolored water in some sections of town due to opening the interconnections with Belleville on Sunday, especially those near the border of the two towns.

“This will be temporary and a small inconvenience as we help our neighbor prevent further property damage or any danger to human life,” Nutley officials said.

This is a developing story. Check back for updates.

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