What to Know
- The fire escalated to five alarms before the flames were extinguished
- Smoke could be seen for miles away
- Chopper 4 showed a heavy emergency presence at the scene, with bright orange flames leaping from the building
The inferno that devoured a New Jersey furniture store, sending thick black smoke billowing into that air that could be seen from midtown Manhattan, may have been caused by an unpermitted roofer, officials say.
The cause of the blaze at the store on John F. Kennedy Boulevard in North Bergen will be listed as accidental, but fire inspector Thomas Irving says investigators have yet to find any permit application for the work that was underway when the fire broke out shortly before noon Wednesday.
Under state fire code, roofing work in which any kind of flame is used requires at least one person on the roof with a fire extinguisher.
No injuries were reported in the five-alarm blaze.
