Fire officials: Dozens displaced in 3-alarm apartment fire in Paterson

Officials say 49 people were displaced following a three-alarm fire that broke out at an apartment complex in Paterson early Saturday morning.

News 12 Staff

Feb 27, 2021, 10:22 PM

Updated 1,341 days ago

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Officials say 49 people were displaced following a three-alarm fire that broke out at an apartment complex in Paterson early Saturday morning.
The incident occurred on North 7th Street around 2 a.m. Families in the residential building say they had to flee into the rain and frigid temperatures as their homes erupted in flames.
All were able to escape without injury, but a Paterson firefighter went to the hospital with burns on his neck. Firefighters say the fire caused the building's roof to collapse, crushing everything inside and spreading to an adjacent property.
The American Red Cross provided emergency relief to several families.
Those inside say the fire started on the second floor, but the cause of the fire is still under investigation. Fire officials say the buildings were equipped with smoke detectors, however, they were not working at the time of the fire.
The building the fire started in is no longer structurally sound and will be demolished in coming days.