Newark fire spreads to multiple homes, displacing residents
NEWARK, N.J. (PIX11) – A fire spread to multiple homes in Newark overnight, displacing dozens of residents.
Video shows flames bursting through the roof of a home on Seymour Avenue just before midnight on Friday.
The fire started inside 11 Seymour Ave., an unoccupied home, and then quickly spread to the two occupied homes on each side of it.
“My wife came and banged the door and said ‘fire, fire,’” said Alhassane Cisse, who lives in one of the homes that burned. “I go to the second bathroom and I saw the fire was inside, so I go back, just take my clothes and got out … We lost everything. Everything is burned down. Nothing came out.”
As the fire spread to a third alarm, 115 fire personnel responded. While working around one of the homes, four firefighters were injured.
“We had a mayday and a partial collapse of 13 Seymour. Our teams that are trained for this specific type of moment acted quickly to remove, package, and transport our injured firefighters that were injured to University Hospital,” Newark Fire Chief Del Ortiz said.
The firefighters are expected to be OK. The flames were eventually put out.
The cause is under investigation, but neighbors said they had complained in the past that squatters have been occupying the home where the fire started.
“That’s going to be part of the investigation process,” Ortiz said.
Demolition of the three homes began on Saturday. At least 19 adults and 11 children are now without a home.
Cisse and his family are among them.
“I feel very sad. Really sad. Things you build up so many years, and then in one day everything is gone,” Cisse said.
The Red Cross is now helping those who have been displaced.