North Brunswick police are monitoring a charred warehouse after an eight-alarm fire broke out there Wednesday afternoon. Firefighters have left the scene after battling the fire for more than 24 hours. Some items inside the warehouse are still slightly smoking. Once it is deemed safe, first responders on the scene said the plan is to knock the building down on Friday.

The massive warehouse fire caused area roadways to be closed, including portions of Nassau Street, as well as one lane on Georges Road. The roadways, which have now reopened, experienced some delays during the evening commute.

Residents in this neighborhood were evacuated Wednesday night. Some area businesses remained closed Thursday night due to continuing efforts by firefighters to put out smoldering items.

Emely Vasquez, an employee at Do’s Pharmacy on Georges Road, said customers were calling all morning to see if the business was open. The parking lot is blocked off by some of the road closures.

Vasquez recalled seeing dark smoke fill the air when she came in to work Wednesday afternoon. When she got home, she and her family decided to stay with a relative due to the proximity of their home to the burning warehouse.

“It was definitely scary hearing all the explosions. There was at least 30 explosions going on and they were just getting harder and harder. It was really scary to hear all that,” said Vasquez. “You can still see it and it’s like a funky smell.”

She said customers have been coming in to buy masks due to poor air quality.

The cause of the fire remains under investigation.