BAYONNE, NJ – A fire in Bayonne displaced several families and evacuated a daycare center Friday.
The fire started just before noon in a building on Avenue C near West 20th Street. Cell phone footage shows heavy smoke billowing into the sky.
According to the fire chief, the flames spread to adjacent buildings and it took crews two hours to control the five-alarm fire.
“Our arriving units took heavy fire upon arrival, and the fire also extended to the buildings on both sides… The heavy fire made it a defensive operation,” Bayonne Fire Chief Keith Weaver said.
Fire officials say 16 people are without homes as their buildings are being evaluated for demolition. According to authorities, five of the displaced people are children.
The cause of the fire is still under investigation.
Dozens of children removed from nursery after fire engulfed a neighboring building
The ‘Smile of a Child’ daycare center is located next to the building that caught fire.
Bayonne resident Valerie Maita says she helped staff safely remove about 30 babies and take them to a nearby bank.
“Screaming, crying, it was very chaotic,” she said. “I ran over and started helping them get the kids, all the babies, to the couch… Holding the kids, calming them down, playing Elmo for them.”
While firefighters worked to extinguish the fire, the children were reunited with their families.
“I saw there was a lot of smoke. At first I thought it was a small fire, but the fire continued for at least half an hour and 45 minutes,” Bayonne resident Mario Flores said.
Fire officials say Bayonne City Councilman Loyad Booker, who is also a retired police officer, helped. He was driving by when he saw the emergency, stopped and helped get the children to safety.
