Paterson, NJ Fire Destroys Two Homes on Fourth of July

Four-Alarm Fire in Paterson

• 🎆 A four-alarm fire raged on the Fourth of July, described as a relentless attack from above with big flames and smoke.
• 🏠 Residents watched helplessly as the fire spread from one house to another, filling the sky with smoke.

Impact on Residents

• 💔 The blaze displaced 14 residents in total.
• 💨 One resident, Maya Morpha, described the scene as absolute panic, with smoke making it difficult to breathe, especially for those with asthma.

Firefighting Efforts and Injuries

• 🚒 Fire officials stated the flame started behind one home and spread to another, but damage was contained to just those two homes.
• ⏱️ The fire began around 5:20 PM and required nearly 100 firefighters to bring under control.
• ⚠️ Firefighters initially encountered heavy fire, were pushed back, and switched from an offensive to a defensive attack before returning to offensive mode. -🩹 Two firefighters suffered minor injuries, and fortunately, no residents were injured.

Investigation

• 🔍 The cause of the fire is under investigation.
• 📍 The incident occurred on Southern Street in Paterson, NJ.