Fire broke out on Saturday afternoon along Oakwood Avenue in Orange, New Jersey. The fire was reported around 1:oo PM. Here are details in excerpts from an article by David Giambusso at The Star-Ledger:
Officials said the blaze started in a free-standing residence and then spread south toward Central Avenue to a series of five attached, one-and two-family homes. No injuries or fatalities were reported yesterday but the fire caused untold damage, burning nine residences and displacing 38 Orange residents.
As firefighters took turns battling the blaze and resting, one Newark firefighter emerged, his face lined with soot and sweat.
“It’s a row house, so once it gets in it’s a matter of getting ahead of it,” he said. “From what I understand they had trouble getting their aerial ladders up so they were behind the eight-ball,” he said of the Orange Fire Department, who responded first.
According to Orange Deputy Fire Chief Edward Hector, officials were still investigating how the fire began.
“It started in a separate, two-story structure and then communicated to the other buildings,” Hector said. By 4 p.m. firefighters had gained the advantage on the blaze. “It’s under control, but we’re still chasing it down.”
