East Orange apartment building fire displaces at least 80, dozens hospitalized
According to the East Orange Fire Department, firefighters responded to the call of a fire just after 6 a.m.
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Dozens of people, including two firefighters, were taken to the hospital Sunday morning after a fire broke out at an apartment building in East Orange.
There were no reported fatalities. At least 80 people have been displaced, according to the Red Cross.
Cleanup efforts were already underway at the building on Washington Street by Sunday afternoon.
According to the East Orange Fire Department, firefighters responded to the call of a fire just after 6 a.m. They said the blaze escalated to a three-alarm fire, and several other fire companies were called in to assist.
Residents who were inside the building at the time said the smoke was so thick that they couldn’t make it down the stairs. Instead, they said first responders rescued people with ladders from their windows.
One resident returning from the hospital told News 12 that she and her grandmother are the ones that alerted the other residents about the fire.
"She came knocking on our bedroom door saying that she smelled gas, and when we opened the door...I smelled smoke," building resident Sharmin said. "That's when we saw the lights were off in the hallway...when we were coming down the steps, there was so much smoke when we reached the second floor that we had to go back."
The Red Cross is assisting the residents who were displaced in coordination with the local Office of Emergency Management. They've set up a temporary shelter at the Fellowship Civic Center in East Orange.
Building staff on site told News 12 that the fire may have been set intentionally. No official cause has been released by officials.
