NEWARK, NJ — A fire in an abandoned house spread to neighboring homes overnight and displaced more than a dozen families in New Jersey.
The fire in Newark started just before midnight on Saturday. Within five minutes, it spread to two adjacent homes on Seymour Avenue, the city’s public safety director said.
14 families evacuated, 4 firefighters were injured
Residents of neighboring homes were forced to evacuate as firefighters tried to battle the flames.
“I saw big sparks of light at the window. So I went to look at the window and I saw that it was flames coming from the next house. I was so scared and so panicked that I ran to just put on my clothes to When I ran outside I saw the whole side of the house was on fire and I literally lost everything,” said a neighbor.
It took the fire brigade almost three hours to get the fire under control. Four were injured in what was described as a partial collapse of the building.
A total of 14 families, including 11 children, were left without a place to live. The American Red Cross is assisting them.
The injured firefighters were in stable condition at University Hospital.
The cause of the fire is under investigation.
Increased fire risk across the region
The entire Tri-State area is under a red flag warning because dry, windy conditions cause an increased fire risk.
The Jennings Creek wildfire, which has been burning along the New York-New Jersey border for more than a week, is contained almost 90%The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation said Friday.
Mark Prussia contributed to this report.
Johannes Dias
