What to Know
- A fire tore through homes in Bayonne on Wednesday morning
- Fire officials said the blaze spread quickly and it took firefighters about an hour to get it under control
- More than a dozen people were displaced, two firefighters were injured and seven cats were killed
A fire tore through homes in Bayonne early Wednesday morning, displacing more than a dozen people, injuring two firefighters and killing a number of pets.
Firefighters responded to the fire on Andrew Street shortly before 2 a.m.
Fire Chief Keith Weaver said the fire appears to have started in the air-shaft between two homes around 1:30 a.m. The blaze grew and firefighters struggled to control the flames between three homes.
"Companies that responded were met by heavy fire on arrival in both buildings," Weaver said.
Smoke could be seen rising above the homes as some residents rushed to safety and others were rescued by firefighters.
The blaze displaced 13 people, Weaver said. They were being assisted by Bayonne's Office of Emergency Management.
Local
Two firefighters suffered non-life-threatening injuries and were taken to area hospitals.
Seven cats were killed, according to fire officials. Three more cats were rescued, as were three ferrets and a bird. All of the pets were in the same apartment.
Weaver said it took firefighters about an hour to get the blaze under control. He said the homes are older structures with hollow walls and that flames spread easily in them.
