Paterson, NJ Fire Leaves 36 Homeless
High winds afflicting Paterson, NJ, resulted in a fire that ravaged several buildings last night.
River Street was filled with smoke and panicked inhabitants, as the fire ignited right before 5:00 p.m. The flames left more than 36 people homeless and is thought to have begun on an apartment's ground level, swiftly spreading above.
40 mph wind gusts escalated the flames to four buildings close by. Businesses were destroyed that included a dry cleaners, market, deli and restaurant. Two other structures were badly damaged. The wind prevailed and it took firefighters over 15 hours to get the fire under control. Resident Raul Mio stated to reporters: "I ran to the back to see if it was a minor fire, and it was huge like the whole thing was already on fire...The wind was pushing it basically."
Officials are trying to determine what caused the fire, with arson experts investigating if foul play was involved. Four firemen slipped on ice while combatting the flames and suffered minor wounds. This incident marks the second time in six weeks that Paterson dwellers watched their neighborhood go up in flames. Last month a property on the same block perished. Witness Jason Berrios remarked, "It's like a recurring nightmare out here this year".
