PASSAIC, NJ – A significant house fire escalated to four alarms in Passaic on the day after Christmas, causing extensive damage but no reported injuries.
The fire broke out around 11 a.m. in a Van Buren Street residence near Central Avenue, according to Passaic Mayor Hector Carlos Lora. He confirmed that all tenants were safely evacuated and no one was inside the building at the time of the incident.
Responding firefighters faced a partial ceiling collapse and were withdrawn from the structure for safety. The firefighting efforts included two ladder trucks and multiple hand lines. Initial observations suggest the fire might have originated in the basement and spread quickly through the wooden balloon-frame house.
Firefighting units from Carlstadt, Clifton, East Rutherford, Garfield, Little Falls, Paterson, Rutherford, Totowa, Wallington, West Paterson, Haledon, Prospect Park, and Wayne provided mutual aid. Emergency Medical Services (EMS) were on standby as a precautionary measure, and Animal Control and PSE&G also responded to the scene.