Hillside, NJ Auto Shop Fire: Air Quality Concerns and Building Damage

Massive Fire Erupts in Hillside

• 💥 An explosion at an auto body shop on Maple and Conklin avenues ignited a massive fire around 7:00 p.m. Tuesday.
• 🚒 The fire quickly escalated to a sixth alarm, spreading to nearby businesses and causing a total collapse of a storefront row.
• 🏘️ Several homes were also damaged, displacing over 30 residents.

Firefighting Challenges

• ⚠️ Firefighters faced difficulties due to multiple flammable chemicals and a gas line rupture inside the auto body shop, which fueled the flames.
• 🔥 The fight to extinguish hot spots continued for nearly 12 hours after the fire began.

Air Quality and Safety Warnings

• 💨 Despite the main fire being out, firefighters are urging residents to stay indoors due to toxic smoke lingering over the area.
• 😷 The smoke is considered toxic because of the large amount of chemicals and tires that burned.
• ⚠️ Residents are advised to keep windows closed to avoid the smoke.

Injuries and Investigation

• 🩹 Thankfully, no one was seriously injured, but two individuals were treated for injuries: a firefighter and an employee of the auto body shop.
• 🔍 The exact cause of the initial explosion inside the business is still under investigation.