Last night a three-alarm fire began spreading through homes in Newark, New Jersey. Although no injuries were reported, 31 people will be forced to relocate due to extensive damage done to their homes.
The initial call to the fire department was for flames coming from an empty building at 71 Montgomery Avenue. The FD arrived at the scene a little before 5 p.m.
Firefighters were having trouble getting water from nearby hydrants and spent time searching for one that would work. This allowed the flame to continue to burn, spreading from 71 Montgomery to 65, 67, 73, and 75 Montgomery.
Donna Jackson, a local community activist was displeased with the fact the firefighters took this long to get into action. “For them to have to take fire hoses all the way to Springfield Avenue, for me to walk past three firefighters with hoses on their damn shoulders, it’s unacceptable. We still have a list of over 700 fire hydrants out of the 1,000 that we have in the city that haven’t been replaced. How? Where’s the mayor at? You need to come check on these people and find out why there’s not water here,” she said.
Local authorities are still investigating how the fire started in the first place. Multiple reports suggest that it is possible squatters staying in the vacant home ignited the flame, with residents complaining of squatters in the house before.