NJ fire injures firefighter, resident

By Marlene Naanes and Zach Patberg
The Record

PATERSON, N.J. — Authorities said they might never know the cause of a blaze early Monday that tore through three homes, injured two people and left 24 residents homeless, fire officials said.

The three-alarm fire started at 731 E. 23rd St. just before 3 a.m. Monday. When firefighters arrived, the 2 1/2-story building was engulfed in flames, which also were spreading to the buildings on either side, said Deputy Fire Chief Bruce Vander Voort. Residents escaped before firefighters arrived.

The fire ate through the buildings until firefighters extinguished it about 6:40 a.m. The extent of the damage will likely limit the investigation to interviews with residents and witnesses, as gathering any tangible evidence of the cause is "virtually impossible," said James Wilson, Passaic County's chief assistant prosecutor.

The Prosecutor's Office was called because of how unusually fast the fire had spread before firefighters even arrived. Yet authorities say it is too early to speculate if the blaze was of suspicious origin.

"We're certainly not in the position to call it an arson," Wilson said.

One firefighter and one resident were taken to St. Joseph's Regional Medical Center. The firefighter had carbon monoxide in his blood and was taken to the hospital for observation, Vander Voort said. The extent of the resident's injuries was unclear, but they were not considered life-threatening, he said.

The home where the fire originated was so badly damaged it will have to be knocked down. A 2 1/2-story building at 729 E. 23rd St. also was extensively damaged and rendered uninhabitable. And a three-story building at 733 E. 23rd St. was damaged and would likely remain uninhabitable until its utilities were turned back on, Vander Voort said.

The fire displaced 16 adults and eight children. The Red Cross was working to find the residents places to stay.

Firefighters could not find one of the tenants and sent a K-9 dog through the buildings after they extinguished the fire, fearing the woman was dead. She eventually was located at a relative's home.

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