North Jersey.com
PATERSON, N.J. — Hampered by searing heat and humidity that can make even ordinary fires difficult to battle, Paterson firefighters spent hours fighting a series of blazes on Wednesday in a neighborhood known for gun violence and dotted with abandoned homes, with authorities saying one fire apparently was started by a 5-year-old boy.
Dozens of residents were displaced, seven firefighters had minor injuries and three were taken to the hospital as they toiled for hours in hot and smoky conditions, rescuing residents’ pets, one of them running into the same building twice before emerging with a frightened dog.
The heat and humidity make an already perilous situation even more dangerous. In such conditions, supervisors need to monitor firefighters closely and rotate them more frequently, said Richard Blohm, the director of the Bergen County Law and Public Safety Institute, which trains firefighters.
Full story: Firefighters in Paterson pushed to limit by heat, flames; dozens displaced, 8 buildings damaged