More than two dozen people were displaced by a pair of fires, including a raging five-alarm blaze, that ripped through seven homes in New Jersey Wednesday, authorities say.
The first fire erupted at a home on Godwin Avenue in Paterson shortly before 1 p.m. and spread to three other homes; a second fire then broke out a block away and engulfed three homes, officials said.
Thirty-one people were displaced by the blazes, and six firefighters suffered minor injuries.
No residents were injured. One family's dog was trapped inside a burning home, afraid to move, but firefighters were able to rescue it. The owner said it took the firefighter 30 minutes to find the pup amid the flames and wreckage.
Some of the homes affected by the fires were unoccupied. An investigation is underway into what caused the blazes.
Paterson Fire Chief Michael Postorino said authorities are looking into whether there's any connection between the two fires.
