A raging fire in New Jersey gutted at least three apartments in multiple buildings early Thursday, though no injuries were reported.
Firefighters in Paterson say they responded to the blaze on Marshall Street around 4 a.m. The fire started in one home and quickly spread to two others, intensifying to a fourth-alarm blaze, meaning additional reinforcements were needed, by daybreak.
Surveillance video from across the street, exclusively obtained by NBC New York, showed the flames bursting out of the alleyway between two buildings on Marshall Street.
Nine families, 29 people among them, were displaced.
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The cause of the fire is under investigation. Crews were continuing to douse hotspots and flare-ups through the early afternoon.
Residents described fleeing their homes in terror after feeling the heat and seeing what one man described as a "ball of fire."
Others, both residents and public representatives alike, were just thankful no one was seriously hurt -- or worse.
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"The only thing I could think about was my family," said Paterson resident Darrell Williams.
Once the fire marshal's investigation is completed, the three buildings will be demolished.
